"break the news to n" construction
Form
NP
Communicator
break
the news
Information
to
NP
Addressee
Examples
Communicator
He
's just
break
broken
Information
[the news]
to
to
Addressee
parents
in a letter to each family.
Earlier in the summer
Communicator
he
had to
break
break
Information
[some bad news]
to
to
Addressee
[Jack McClelland.]
Communicator
She
break
breaks
Information
[the happy news]
to
to
Addressee
Steve
in the Rovers.
Communicator
[Police officers]
break
broke
Information
[the news of the incident]
to
to
Addressee
[Mr Harkins]
at Edinburgh Prison.
Communicator
[Gerald Hussey]
break
broke
Information
[the news]
to
to
Addressee
[his daughter]
Information
[that she would be leaving Ireland.]
Meaning
A Communicator conveys some newly received and noteworthy Information to an Addressee.
Roles
Communicator
Someone who uses language to inform the Addressee of the Information.
Information
The newly received and noteworthy fact that the Communicator wants the Addressee to know.
Addressee
The person who the Communicator intends to receive the Information.