Es este reportero quien debe aclarar la información.

Questions & Answers about Es este reportero quien debe aclarar la información.

Why does the sentence start with Es?
This is a cleft sentence, which is a structure used to emphasize a specific piece of information. Just like in English ('It is this reporter who...'), Spanish uses the verb ser (here, es) at the beginning to put the spotlight on the focused element, which is este reportero.
Could I use que instead of quien here?
Yes, you could use a variation with que, such as Es este reportero el que debe... or simply Es este reportero que debe.... However, when emphasizing a person in this type of structure, using quien (who) is extremely common and considered the most precise choice.
What would happen to the sentence if we were talking about multiple reporters?
The verb ser, the demonstrative adjective, the noun, the relative pronoun, and the main verb would all change to plural! You would say: Son estos reporteros quienes deben aclarar la información. Notice how es becomes son and quien becomes quienes to match the plural subject.
Why does the sentence use debe for 'must' instead of tiene que?
Both debe (from deber) and tiene que (from tener que) express obligation and can be translated as 'must' or 'has to'. Deber is slightly more formal and is often used in professional contexts or official statements, like news reporting, while tener que is more common in everyday conversational Spanish.

Learn Es este reportero quien debe aclarar la información and more in Spanish

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • Practice with interactive exercises
  • Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • Learn at your own pace — completely free