گرامر
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.

وضاحتوں کا ترجمہ کیا جا رہا ہے...
فی الحال اصل انگریزی سبق دکھایا جا رہا ہے۔
تصویری گائیڈ

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 گرامر B2 الفاظ B1 Formal

It is widely believed that the market will recover.

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

بنیادی حصے

جملے کو لفظ بہ لفظ نہیں، معنی خیز حصوں میں پڑھیں۔

It is widely believed that

reporting frame
introduces a commonly reported or accepted belief while distancing the speaker
ایک اکائی کے طور پر سیکھیں
the market will recover

reported claim
the content of the belief
Formal گرامر B2 الفاظ B1 Formal

The minister is expected to resign.

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

بنیادی حصے

جملے کو لفظ بہ لفظ نہیں، معنی خیز حصوں میں پڑھیں۔

The minister

reported subject
the person the report is about
is expected to

reporting passive
presents a future action as expected by others
ایک اکائی کے طور پر سیکھیں
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 گرامر B2 الفاظ A2 Neutral

Experts predict a fall.

Active reporting names the source directly.

Contrast گرامر B2 الفاظ 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 گرامر B2 الفاظ 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.

بنیادی حصے

جملے کو لفظ بہ لفظ نہیں، معنی خیز حصوں میں پڑھیں۔

It was reported that

impersonal reporting frame
introduces information reported in the past
ایک اکائی کے طور پر سیکھیں
three people had been injured

reported event
the content of the report
Question گرامر B2 الفاظ B1 Formal

Is it known whether the data was shared?

The impersonal passive can form formal questions with whether.

بنیادی حصے

جملے کو لفظ بہ لفظ نہیں، معنی خیز حصوں میں پڑھیں۔

Is it known whether

question reporting frame
asks if information is known, without naming who knows it
ایک اکائی کے طور پر سیکھیں
the data was shared

reported possibility
the information being asked about
Negative گرامر B2 الفاظ A2 Formal

It is not expected that prices will fall this year.

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

بنیادی حصے

جملے کو لفظ بہ لفظ نہیں، معنی خیز حصوں میں پڑھیں۔

It is not expected that

negative reporting frame
says that a result is not expected by relevant people or evidence
ایک اکائی کے طور پر سیکھیں
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 گرامر B2 الفاظ B1 Formal

The company is believed to be expanding in Asia.

The personal passive moves the reported subject to the front.

بنیادی حصے

جملے کو لفظ بہ لفظ نہیں، معنی خیز حصوں میں پڑھیں۔

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
ایک اکائی کے طور پر سیکھیں
expanding in Asia

reported situation
the situation believed to be happening
Formal گرامر C1 الفاظ 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.

بنیادی حصے

جملے کو لفظ بہ لفظ نہیں، معنی خیز حصوں میں پڑھیں۔

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
ایک اکائی کے طور پر سیکھیں
used a false name

earlier reported action
the alleged past action
Formal گرامر B2 الفاظ B1 Formal

The policy is expected to reduce costs.

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

بنیادی حصے

جملے کو لفظ بہ لفظ نہیں، معنی خیز حصوں میں پڑھیں۔

The policy

reported subject
the thing expected to produce a result
is expected to

future reporting passive
reports a likely future effect
ایک اکائی کے طور پر سیکھیں
reduce costs

expected result
the predicted effect
Formal گرامر C1 الفاظ B2 Formal

Several employees are thought to have been underpaid.

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

بنیادی حصے

جملے کو لفظ بہ لفظ نہیں، معنی خیز حصوں میں پڑھیں۔

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
ایک اکائی کے طور پر سیکھیں
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 گرامر C1 الفاظ 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.

بنیادی حصے

جملے کو لفظ بہ لفظ نہیں، معنی خیز حصوں میں پڑھیں۔

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
ایک اکائی کے طور پر سیکھیں
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 گرامر B2 الفاظ A2 Formal

The bridge may have been damaged by the storm.

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

بنیادی حصے

جملے کو لفظ بہ لفظ نہیں، معنی خیز حصوں میں پڑھیں۔

The bridge

passive subject
the thing affected by the damage
may have been damaged

modal perfect passive
expresses uncertain past passive meaning
ایک اکائی کے طور پر سیکھیں
by the storm

agent or cause
names the cause when it is useful
Formal گرامر B2 الفاظ B1 Formal

The plan is being reviewed by the committee.

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

بنیادی حصے

جملے کو لفظ بہ لفظ نہیں، معنی خیز حصوں میں پڑھیں۔

The plan

passive subject
the thing receiving the action
is being reviewed

continuous passive
shows that the passive action is in progress now
ایک اکائی کے طور پر سیکھیں
by the committee

agent
names the group doing the review
Formal گرامر B2 الفاظ B1 Formal

The results need to be checked before publication.

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

بنیادی حصے

جملے کو لفظ بہ لفظ نہیں، معنی خیز حصوں میں پڑھیں۔

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
ایک اکائی کے طور پر سیکھیں
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 گرامر B2 الفاظ A2 Neutral

The director appears to be worried.

Appears to describes how something seems from evidence or impression.

بنیادی حصے

جملے کو لفظ بہ لفظ نہیں، معنی خیز حصوں میں پڑھیں۔

The director

subject
the person being described
appears to be

appearance frame
signals the speaker's impression, not an outside report
ایک اکائی کے طور پر سیکھیں
worried

state
the observed state
Contrast گرامر B2 الفاظ A2 Formal

The director is said to be worried.

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

بنیادی حصے

جملے کو لفظ بہ لفظ نہیں، معنی خیز حصوں میں پڑھیں۔

The director

reported subject
the person the report is about
is said to be

reporting passive
signals that other people or sources report this
ایک اکائی کے طور پر سیکھیں
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 گرامر B2 الفاظ A2 Neutral

He is said that he is abroad.

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

Corrected گرامر B2 الفاظ A2 Formal

It is said that he is abroad.

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

بنیادی حصے

جملے کو لفظ بہ لفظ نہیں، معنی خیز حصوں میں پڑھیں۔

It is said that

impersonal reporting frame
uses the correct impersonal frame before a that-clause
ایک اکائی کے طور پر سیکھیں
he is abroad

reported claim
the content of the report
Corrected گرامر B2 الفاظ A2 Formal

He is said to be abroad.

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

بنیادی حصے

جملے کو لفظ بہ لفظ نہیں، معنی خیز حصوں میں پڑھیں۔

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
ایک اکائی کے طور پر سیکھیں
abroad

reported state
the reported location or state

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