"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.

Frames

Inherits from

Sub-constructions

Phraseological constructions