Communicating information you received from someone else is a common part of everyday conversation. Knowing how to do it naturally in English — without always revealing your source — is a practical skill that will make your speech sound more fluent and confident. The key structure revolves around two simple phrases: I hear that and I heard that.
How do you use I hear that and I heard that to share acquired information?
When you learn something from another person or source, you can report it using the verb to hear followed by that and a complete clause. This structure is called acquired information, and it lets you share what you know without necessarily saying where it came from [0:22].
There are two main forms:
- I hear that — used in present tense, it implies you recently learned something and it still feels current.
- I heard that — used in past tense, it signals you received the information at some earlier point.
Both forms carry essentially the same meaning. For example [0:35]:
- I hear that Anna is moving to Hollywood to become an actress.
- I heard that Anna is moving to Hollywood to become an actress.
The choice between them is mostly about personal preference or slight nuance in timing.
When should you reveal your source and when should you omit it?
One of the most useful aspects of this structure is flexibility. You are not required to mention who told you or where you got the information. Sometimes you prefer to keep your source private, and sometimes it simply is not relevant [1:05].
Consider these options:
- I hear that you're working for Plotzy now. — no source mentioned.
- I heard in this morning's meeting that you're working for Plotzy now. — source is a meeting.
- I heard from your mother that you're working for Plotzy now. — source is a specific person.
Another example involves weather information [1:45]. You might say I hear that it's going to be sunny this weekend without mentioning a source, or you could be specific: I heard on the news that it's going to be sunny today. The decision depends entirely on the context and how important the source is to your message.
What are some practical scenarios for using this structure?
Practice makes these patterns feel natural. Here are three real-world situations from the lesson:
- Sharing personal news [2:15]: a friend named Jennifer tells you that Ashley is getting married. You do not want to reveal Jennifer as the source, so you say: I hear that Ashley is getting married.
- Reporting sensitive workplace information [2:45]: you overhear a private meeting where they discuss laying off half the staff. The verb to lay off means to terminate employees. You do not want to admit you were eavesdropping — the word eavesdropping means secretly listening to a private conversation — so you simply say: I heard that the company is going to lay off half of us.
- Sharing breaking news [3:25]: you hear on the radio that the Lakers won the NBA Finals. You can include the source or not: I heard on the radio that the Lakers won the NBA Finals or just I heard that the Lakers won the NBA Finals.
What vocabulary should you remember from this pattern?
A few expressions stand out as especially useful:
- To acquire information — to receive or obtain new facts or news.
- To omit — to leave out or not include something, in this case your source.
- To lay off — to dismiss employees from a job.
- Eavesdropping — listening secretly to other people's conversations.
Mastering the I hear/heard that structure gives you a simple yet powerful way to participate in gossip, share news, and communicate professionally — all while controlling exactly how much you reveal about where your information came from. Try using it today: think about a piece of information you learned recently and write a sentence in the comments using I heard that.
