Mastering Passive Reporting Verbs in English Grammar
Understanding Passive Reporting Structures
Reporting verbs are frequently used in the passive voice to convey information without explicitly stating the source, or when the source is unknown or unimportant. This grammatical structure is common in formal and academic writing.
There are two primary ways to express an idea using passive reporting verbs:
- Subject + Passive of Reporting Verb + To-Infinitive:
Active: People believe that thousands of birds died.
Passive: Hundreds of thousands of birds are believed to have died.
- It + Passive of Reporting Verb + That-Clause:
Active: People believe that thousands of birds died.
Passive: It is believed that hundreds of thousands of birds died.
Common Reporting Verbs
Some other reporting verbs that can be used in this way include:
- calculate
- claim
- consider
- discover
- estimate
- expect
- feel
- hope
- know
- prove
- report
- say
- show
- think
- understand
- etc.
Infinitive Forms with Passive Reporting Verbs
Present Reference
When referring to a present action or state, the passive reporting verb is followed by the present infinitive.
- Active: People think that Johnson is in Cardiff.
- Passive: Johnson is thought to be in Cardiff.
Past Reference
When referring to a past action or state, the passive reporting verb is followed by the past infinitive (to have + past participle).
- Active: People believe that Johnson left Cardiff last month.
- Passive: Johnson is believed to have left Cardiff last month.
Present and Past Continuous Infinitives
Continuous infinitives (to be + -ing or to have been + -ing) are also used to express ongoing actions.
- Active: They think that the forger is living in Florence.
- Passive: The forger is thought to be living in Florence.
- Active: People know that the suspect has been dealing with drugs.
- Passive: The suspect is known to have been dealing with drugs.
Passive Infinitives
Passive infinitives (to be + past participle or to have been + past participle) can also appear when the action is performed on the subject.
- Active: People believe that the portrait was painted by Vermeer.
- Passive: The portrait is believed to have been painted by Vermeer.
- Active: They think that the staff are given a bonus whenever they have to work overtime.
- Passive: The staff are thought to be given a bonus whenever they have to work overtime.
Past Tense Reporting Verbs
The reporting verb itself can also be in the past tense.
- Active: People considered the government had spent too much.
- Passive: The government was considered to have spent too much.
Practice Examples: Transforming Active to Passive
Active: People think that neither side wanted war.
Passive: Neither side is thought to have wanted war.
Active: People say that fewer than 1,000 blue whales survive in the southern hemisphere.
Passive: Fewer than 1,000 blue whales are said to survive in the southern hemisphere.
Active: Everyone knows that eating fruit is good for you.
Passive: Eating fruit is known to be good for you.
Active: People consider that one in three bathing beaches is unfit for swimming.
Passive: One in three bathing beaches is considered unfit for swimming.
Active: It is reported that at least 130,000 dolphins are caught in the nets of tuna fishers every year.
Passive: At least 130,000 dolphins are reported to be caught in the nets of tuna fishers every year.
Active: It is estimated that in the past 15 years about 10 million dolphins have been killed.
Passive: About 10 million dolphins are estimated to have been killed in the past 15 years.
Active: In ancient Greece people thought dolphins were men who had abandoned life on land.
Passive (It-form): In ancient Greece it was thought that dolphins were men who had abandoned life on land.
Passive (Subject-form): In ancient Greece dolphins were thought to be men who had abandoned life on land.
Active: In ancient Rome it was believed that dolphins carried souls to heaven.
Passive: In ancient Rome dolphins were believed to carry souls to heaven.
Active: People say that the company invested fifty million pounds last week.
Passive: The company is said to have invested fifty million pounds last week.
Active: People say Mr Clark was difficult to work with when he was younger.
Passive: Mr Clark is said to have been difficult to work with when he was younger.
Active: Someone has calculated that the water of the River Rhine contains over 2,000 chemicals.
Passive: It has been calculated that the water of the River Rhine contains over 2,000 chemicals.
Active: Everyone thought the painting had been destroyed in the fire.
Passive: The painting was thought to have been destroyed in the fire.
Active: It is believed that the Chinese invented gunpowder.
Passive: The Chinese are believed to have invented gunpowder.
Active: People think that about 1 million papers have been sold.
Passive: About 1 million papers are thought to have been sold.
Active: It is thought that the two injured men were repairing high-tension cable.
Passive: The two injured men are thought to have been repairing high-tension cable.
Active: We hope that the government has prepared a plan.
Passive: The government is hoped to have prepared a plan.
Active: People say that Mr Bond was having business difficulties when he was charged with fraud.
Passive: Mr Bond is said to have been having business difficulties when he was charged with fraud.
Active: It is thought that this treasure dates from the 19th century.
Passive: This treasure is thought to date from the 19th century.
Active: People believe that a professional thief stole the painting.
Passive (It-form): It is believed that the painting was stolen by a professional thief.
Passive (Subject-form): A professional thief is believed to have stolen the painting.