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Grammar
Verbs and tense B2 C1

Advanced passive and reporting patterns

Use passive reporting, distancing, and complex passive forms common in news, reports, and formal writing.

Visual guide

Passive reporting: claim first, source offstage

Passive reporting = “put the news first”

Who says / believes / predicts it?
              ↓
       (offstage, not the focus)
              ↓
Choose the front focus:

[whole claim]
It = empty front slot for the claim
that = opens the full claim
It is widely believed that the market will recover.

[named person / thing]
be + expected/believed/said = reported, not owned
to = links to the reported action/state
The minister is expected to resign.

Quick contrast:
Experts predict a fall.   source visible
A fall is predicted.      source hidden

Use passive reporting when the claim matters more than who says it: put the claim or named person first, and leave the source offstage.

Introduction

Why advanced passives matter

Advanced passive and reporting patterns let you foreground information while keeping the source, cause, or agent in the background. They are common in news, reports, academic writing, and official communication. Use them when the result matters more than who did it, or when information is reported rather than personally confirmed. It is widely believed that the market will recover. The minister is expected to resign. These forms sound more cautious and formal than direct personal statements such as we believe or they expect.
Formal Grammar B2 Vocabulary B1 Formal

It is widely believed that the market will recover.

The writer presents the belief as widely held, not as a personal promise.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

It is widely believed that
reporting frame
introduces a commonly reported or accepted belief while distancing the speaker
Learn as one unit
the market will recover
reported claim
the content of the belief
Formal Grammar B2 Vocabulary B1 Formal

The minister is expected to resign.

A common news style: the subject is placed first and the source is not named.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

The minister
reported subject
the person the report is about
is expected to
reporting passive
presents a future action as expected by others
Learn as one unit
resign
reported action
the expected action
Core logic

Move the claim to the front

The passive changes the viewpoint of a sentence. Instead of starting with the person or group making a claim, it starts with the information, result, or affected subject. Experts predict a fall. A fall is predicted. The second sentence is more formal and less personal; it does not name who made the prediction. This is useful when the source is obvious, unknown, unimportant, or deliberately not emphasized. A by-phrase is optional and should be used only when the agent adds useful information.
Contrast Grammar B2 Vocabulary A2 Neutral

Experts predict a fall.

Active reporting names the source directly.

Contrast Grammar B2 Vocabulary A2 Formal

A fall is predicted.

The passive version foregrounds the prediction, not the experts.

Core pattern

It is reported that...

The frame It + passive reporting verb + that-clause presents a whole claim as reported information. It was reported that three people had been injured. Is it known whether the data was shared? It is not expected that prices will fall this year. Common verbs include said, believed, thought, expected, reported, understood, alleged, claimed, estimated, and suggested. Use a past passive when the reporting happened in the past, and a present passive when the report is current. The that-clause can keep its own tense.
Formal Grammar B2 Vocabulary B1 Formal

It was reported that three people had been injured.

The past passive reporting verb points to a report made earlier; the that-clause keeps its own tense.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

It was reported that
impersonal reporting frame
introduces information reported in the past
Learn as one unit
three people had been injured
reported event
the content of the report
Question Grammar B2 Vocabulary B1 Formal

Is it known whether the data was shared?

The impersonal passive can form formal questions with whether.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

Is it known whether
question reporting frame
asks if information is known, without naming who knows it
Learn as one unit
the data was shared
reported possibility
the information being asked about
Negative Grammar B2 Vocabulary A2 Formal

It is not expected that prices will fall this year.

Negation usually goes in the reporting frame: It is not expected that...

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

It is not expected that
negative reporting frame
says that a result is not expected by relevant people or evidence
Learn as one unit
prices will fall
reported outcome
the possible outcome being denied
this year
time frame
limits the prediction to a time period
Core pattern

The company is believed to...

A second formal pattern is subject + passive reporting verb + to-infinitive. It lets you put the person or thing being reported about at the beginning. The company is believed to be expanding in Asia. The suspect is alleged to have used a false name. The policy is expected to reduce costs. Several employees are thought to have been underpaid. Use to be for a current state or activity, to have + past participle for an earlier action, and to have been + past participle when the earlier action is also passive.
Formal Grammar B2 Vocabulary B1 Formal

The company is believed to be expanding in Asia.

The personal passive moves the reported subject to the front.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

The company
reported subject
the thing the claim is about
is believed to be
personal reporting passive
reports a current situation as believed by others
Learn as one unit
expanding in Asia
reported situation
the situation believed to be happening
Formal Grammar C1 Vocabulary B2 Formal

The suspect is alleged to have used a false name.

Use to have + past participle when the reported action happened before the reporting time.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

The suspect
reported subject
the person the allegation is about
is alleged to have
perfect reporting passive
reports an earlier action that is alleged but not proven here
Learn as one unit
used a false name
earlier reported action
the alleged past action
Formal Grammar B2 Vocabulary B1 Formal

The policy is expected to reduce costs.

Expected to often reports predicted future results in business, news, and reports.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

The policy
reported subject
the thing expected to produce a result
is expected to
future reporting passive
reports a likely future effect
Learn as one unit
reduce costs
expected result
the predicted effect
Formal Grammar C1 Vocabulary B2 Formal

Several employees are thought to have been underpaid.

The reported event can itself be passive: to have been underpaid.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

Several employees
reported subject
the people affected by the reported action
are thought to have been
passive perfect reporting frame
reports a past passive situation as believed or suspected
Learn as one unit
underpaid
reported passive result
the condition believed to have happened
Sentence xray

X-ray: layered passive meaning

X-ray this sentence: The files are believed to have been deleted before the audit. The files is the reported subject. Are believed to is the reporting passive chunk; it shows distance from the claim. Have been deleted is a perfect passive infinitive; it says the deleting happened earlier and the files received the action. Before the audit gives the time boundary. In chunk form: The files / are believed to / have been deleted / before the audit. This structure is dense, but each piece has a clear job.
Formal Grammar C1 Vocabulary B1 Formal

The files are believed to have been deleted before the audit.

This sentence combines reporting passive, perfect infinitive, and passive infinitive in one formal structure.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

The files
reported subject
the thing the report is about
are believed to
reporting passive
signals that the claim is reported or inferred, not directly asserted
Learn as one unit
have been deleted
perfect passive infinitive
shows that the deleting happened earlier and the files received the action
before the audit
time boundary
states when the reported action happened
Form variations

Modals, progressives, and infinitives

Advanced passives combine with modals, continuous forms, perfect forms, and infinitives. The bridge may have been damaged by the storm. This gives a cautious claim about a past passive event. The plan is being reviewed by the committee. This shows an action happening now to the subject. The results need to be checked before publication. This gives a necessary passive action without focusing on who will do it. In formal writing, these combinations are useful, but avoid stacking too many passive layers unless the sentence remains clear.
Formal Grammar B2 Vocabulary A2 Formal

The bridge may have been damaged by the storm.

Modal + have been + past participle is useful for cautious claims about past events.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

The bridge
passive subject
the thing affected by the damage
may have been damaged
modal perfect passive
expresses uncertain past passive meaning
Learn as one unit
by the storm
agent or cause
names the cause when it is useful
Formal Grammar B2 Vocabulary B1 Formal

The plan is being reviewed by the committee.

Be being + past participle expresses an action currently happening to the subject.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

The plan
passive subject
the thing receiving the action
is being reviewed
continuous passive
shows that the passive action is in progress now
Learn as one unit
by the committee
agent
names the group doing the review
Formal Grammar B2 Vocabulary B1 Formal

The results need to be checked before publication.

Need to be + past participle is practical in instructions and reports.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

The results
passive subject
the information requiring action
need to be checked
necessity passive
says that checking is necessary without focusing on who will do it
Learn as one unit
before publication
deadline or condition
gives the required time limit
Contrast

Is said to is not the same as appears to

The closest confusion is between reported information and appearance. The director appears to be worried. This means the speaker judges from evidence or impression; no outside source is implied. The director is said to be worried. This means other people, reports, or sources say it, and the speaker is distancing the claim. Do not use is said to when you only mean seems. Conversely, use a reporting passive when you need to signal rumor, news, official information, or a claim you do not personally confirm.
Contrast Grammar B2 Vocabulary A2 Neutral

The director appears to be worried.

Appears to describes how something seems from evidence or impression.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

The director
subject
the person being described
appears to be
appearance frame
signals the speaker's impression, not an outside report
Learn as one unit
worried
state
the observed state
Contrast Grammar B2 Vocabulary A2 Formal

The director is said to be worried.

Is said to distances the speaker from the claim and points to outside reporting.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

The director
reported subject
the person the report is about
is said to be
reporting passive
signals that other people or sources report this
Learn as one unit
worried
reported state
the state reported by others
Danger zone

Common traps and boundaries

A common mistake is mixing the two main patterns: He is said that he is abroad. Correct: It is said that he is abroad. Also correct: He is said to be abroad. After a personal reporting passive, use to + infinitive, not a that-clause. Be selective with verbs: say, believe, think, expect, report, understand, allege, and claim work well; explain, mention, and discuss usually do not form natural personal reporting passives. Also avoid vague by people unless the source genuinely matters.
Mistake Grammar B2 Vocabulary A2 Neutral

He is said that he is abroad.

This incorrectly mixes the personal passive subject He with a that-clause.

Corrected Grammar B2 Vocabulary A2 Formal

It is said that he is abroad.

Use It is said that + clause when the reported content stays as a full clause.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

It is said that
impersonal reporting frame
uses the correct impersonal frame before a that-clause
Learn as one unit
he is abroad
reported claim
the content of the report
Corrected Grammar B2 Vocabulary A2 Formal

He is said to be abroad.

Use subject + is said to + infinitive when the reported subject comes first.

Building blocks

Read the sentence in chunks, not word-by-word.

He
reported subject
the person the report is about
is said to be
personal reporting passive
uses the correct personal passive frame before a subject complement
Learn as one unit
abroad
reported state
the reported location or state
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