In the fictional town of Bellwick, residents have reported hearing piano music from an apparently empty town hall. A local newspaper investigates.
Use each expression once to complete the report. Notice which phrases introduce evidence, uncertainty or contrast.
Word bank: according to · apparently · confirmed · despite · however · reportedly · whether
(1) ______ several local residents, piano music has been heard in the town hall after midnight.
The building is (2) ______ empty during the night.
The caretaker (3) ______ that he had locked the doors at six o’clock.
(4) ______, a neighbour claimed to have seen a shadow move across an upstairs window.
The council is checking (5) ______ anyone used the hall without permission.
(6) ______ the rumours about ghosts, nobody has produced evidence of anything supernatural.
The music was (7) ______ produced by an automatic keyboard in a storeroom; staff found one with its timer still switched on.
Extra challenge: Write two headlines for this story: one wildly sensational and one responsibly cautious. Explain what each leads readers to assume.
