- Have you ever wondered why we “break” the news but “tell” a story?
- Do you find yourself saying “the news are” instead of “the news is”?
- Are you looking for more professional ways to discuss current events in English?
Mastering news collocations is a vital step for any English learner aiming for fluency. Because “news” is an uncountable noun with specific grammatical rules, using it correctly requires more than just knowing its definition. By learning which verbs and adjectives naturally “cluster” with this word, you reduce your cognitive load, sound more like a native speaker, and eliminate common grammatical errors that can cause “Language Anxiety.”
Essential Collocations using NEWS as a Noun
In English, “news” is a singular, uncountable noun. This means we never use it with “a” or in a plural form like “newses.” Here are the most common ways to use it in daily conversation and journalism.
Common Adjectives with News
- Breaking news: Information about an event that is currently happening. “We interrupt this program for some breaking news.”
- Fake news: False or misleading information presented as news. “It is increasingly difficult to distinguish real reporting from fake news.”
- Old news: Information that is already known and no longer interesting. “That merger happened months ago; it’s old news now.”
- Good/Bad news: Used to introduce positive or negative information. “I have some good news regarding your application.”
- Heartwarming news: News that makes you feel happy or optimistic. “The story of the community saving the local library was such heartwarming news.”
Verbs Used with News
- Break the news: To be the first to tell someone about an important (often sad) event. “I hate to be the one to break the news, but the flight has been canceled.”
- Spread the news: To tell many people about something. “Once they got engaged, they quickly spread the news to all their friends.”
- Follow the news: To keep yourself informed about current events. “I follow the news daily to stay updated on the economy.”
- Catch up on the news: To read or watch news that you missed earlier. “I usually catch up on the news during my morning commute.”
Quantifying “News” (The “Piece” Structure)
Since you cannot say “a news,” you must use “counters” or partitives to talk about individual items.
- A piece of news: A single item of information. “I heard an interesting piece of news today.”
- An item of news: Often used in formal or journalistic contexts. “The next item of news concerns the local elections.”
- A bit of news: Informal usage. “I’ve got a little bit of news to share with the team.”
Common Collocations with NEWS as an Attributive Noun (Modifier)
In English, we often use “news” as a modifier to describe other nouns. In these cases, it functions similarly to an adjective to create compound nouns used in professional environments.
Media and Journalism Roles
- News anchor: The person who hosts a news broadcast. “The news anchor delivered the report with great calm.”
- News agency: An organization that gathers news reports and sells them to magazines and broadcasters. “Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world.”
- News outlet: A specific publication or channel that provides news. “Multiple news outlets are reporting the same story.”
Information Delivery
- News coverage: The extent or way a story is reported. “The Olympics received 24-hour news coverage.”
- News feed: A constantly updated list of news stories, usually online. “I saw the update on my social media news feed.”
- News bulletin: A short radio or television broadcast of news. “We will bring you more details in our next news bulletin.”
The Master Summary Table
| Collocation | Part of Speech | Quick Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Breaking news | Adjective + Noun | Newly received info about a current event. |
| Break the news | Verb + Noun | To inform someone of significant news. |
| News outlet | Attributive Noun + Noun | A newspaper, TV station, or news website. |
| A piece of news | Noun Phrase | One single news story. |
| Spread the news | Verb + Noun | Making information known to many people. |
| News coverage | Attributive Noun + Noun | The reporting of a particular story. |
Common Mistakes: Natural vs Unnatural
| Do Not Say | Say This |
|---|---|
| The news are very interesting today. | The news is very interesting today. |
| I have a great news for you! | I have some great news (or a piece of great news) for you! |
| I heard many news about the strike. | I heard a lot of news about the strike. |
| The newses are bad. | The news is bad. |
“When the news anchor started the 10 PM broadcast with breaking news about the local election, the room went silent. I had been following the news all day, but this was a piece of news nobody expected. My manager decided to break the news to the rest of the staff via a news bulletin on the company’s internal news feed.”
Frequently Asked Questions about News Collocations
Is “news” singular or plural?
“News” is always singular in its grammatical construction. Even though it ends in ‘s’, you must use a singular verb (e.g., “The news is,” not “The news are”).
What is the difference between “breaking news” and “latest news”?
“Breaking news” refers to an event that is happening right now or was just discovered. “Latest news” refers to the most recent information available, even if the event happened a few hours or days ago.
Can I use “a news” if I am talking about just one thing?
No. “News” is uncountable. To refer to a single item, you must use the phrase “a piece of news” or “an item of news.”
What preposition should I use: “in the news” or “on the news”?
Use “on the news” when referring to television or radio broadcasts (e.g., “I saw it on the news”). Use “in the news” when talking about the general state of being reported by the media (e.g., “He has been in the news a lot lately”).
Is “fake news” considered formal English?
While it started as a more casual or political term, “fake news” is now widely used in formal journalism, academic discussions, and legal contexts to describe disinformation.
Is 'breaking news' used the same way in British English as in American English? I mostly hear it on US channels, but I'm not sure if it's as prevalent in the UK.
Good observation, Oliver! 'Breaking news' is indeed widely used and understood in both British and American English media today. While historically, you might have heard 'news flash' or 'stop press' (especially in print contexts) more often in the UK, 'breaking news' has become very much universal in broadcast and digital media across the English-speaking world. So yes, it's equally prevalent now!
Thank you, Translateen! This was exactly what I needed to read today. My English teacher always tells me to pay attention to collocations, and this article makes it so clear why they are important for sounding fluent and confident.
When talking about journalistic ethics and truth, would it be better to say 'false news' or 'fake news'? Is there a stronger implication with one over the other in a formal context?
That's a very perceptive question, Pavel! While 'fake news' is widely understood, especially in casual and political discourse, 'false news' can often sound slightly more formal, objective, or academic in discussions about journalistic ethics. 'False news' directly addresses the veracity (or lack thereof) without carrying some of the more loaded political connotations that 'fake news' has accumulated. Both are understood, but 'false news' might be preferred in a strictly professional critique.
The article was concise and very useful. Could you maybe make one about collocations with 'information'? I find myself making similar mistakes with that word too, especially with its countability.
Thanks for the suggestion, Sofia! That's an excellent idea. 'Information' is another key uncountable noun that trips up many learners, very similar to 'news.' We'll definitely add it to our content plan. Stay tuned to Translateen.com for future articles!
In my country, we say 'breaking news' directly translated from English. Is this phrase relatively new or has it been around for a long time in English media?
That's really interesting, Leo! While the concept of urgent news updates has been around since the early days of radio and TV, the specific phrase 'breaking news' gained significant traction and became extremely prevalent with the rise of 24-hour news channels and digital media, especially in the last few decades. It certainly conveys immediacy!
I've been looking for good materials to explain uncountable nouns in context. This article is perfectly structured for that. I especially appreciate the explicit mention of 'reducing cognitive load' – that's a key benefit I always try to convey to my students!
How does 'news' differ from 'report'? For example, 'news report.' Is 'report' countability different? I often get confused between them.
That's a very sharp observation, Chen! Yes, 'report' *is* a countable noun. You can have 'a report,' 'two reports,' or 'many news reports.' 'News' itself is the uncountable concept or general stream of current information, while a 'news report' is a specific, countable article or broadcast that delivers that news. So, 'a news report' refers to one distinct item, whereas 'the news' refers to the broader content.
This was such a clear and helpful article! I never really thought about specific collocations with 'news' before, but now I can totally see how important they are for sounding natural and avoiding common mistakes. Thank you!
Could you give an example of 'sensational news' or 'good news/bad news'? I'm trying to expand my adjective vocabulary with 'news.' This article is very helpful for that!
Certainly, Maria! For 'sensational news,' you might say: 'The tabloids are often criticized for reporting sensational news.' And for good/bad: 'I have some good news for you – your visa application was approved!' or 'Unfortunately, I bear bad news; the concert has been cancelled.' Keep practicing these! You're doing great.
I always feel so embarrassed when I say 'news are.' This article makes me feel less alone in my confusion. The 'language anxiety' part really resonated with me. Thanks for the encouragement and the clear explanation!