Which of the verbs in brackets can complete the sentence?
Underline one or both.
1It was ………….. to hold new negotiations next month. (agreed /
announced)
2 It has been …………that the crash was the result of pilot error. (proposed /
shown)
3 It was ……… that Mrs Ho would chair the meeting. (Hoped/explained)
4. it has been….. to appoint Dr Ahmadi as headteacher (decided/suggested)
5. it has not yet been ………who was responsible for the error
(claimed/explained
6. it has now been …..that half of cancer cases are lifestyle-related
(established/revealed)
7. It is …… to create 500 more jobs in the factory (expected/intended)
8. it is ……to close the library permanently from next April
(planned/recommended
9. It is …..that another moon landing will take place next year
(assumed/thought)
10. It has been …. How spiders are able to travel across the sea
(discovered/said)
If possible, rewrite these newspaper headlines as passive
sentences with it. If not, write ✗.
PATIENTS REASSURED ABOUT HOSPITAL SAFETY
WATER DISCOVERED ON MARS
TERRORISTS BELIEVED TO BE OPERATING IN BERLIN
MOON ASTRONAUTS EXPECTED TO RETURN TODAY
EX-PRESIDENT JULIUS REVEALED AS SPY
WARNING GIVEN ABOUT COMPUTER VIRUS
KING SAID TO BE MAKING GOOD RECOVERY
RESTAURANT ESTABLISHED AS SOURCE OF FOOD POISONING OUTBREAK
POLICE TOLD TO WORK LONGER HOURS
n news reports and formal writing, it is common to use passive forms of
reporting verbs. Using this resource allows us to give information when we
don’t know for sure whether it is true or not or when we want to distance
ourselves from the source of the information.
Reporting verbs are verbs of saying or believing, such
as agree, announce, believe, claim, consider, expect, hope, know, re
port, say, suggest, think, understand, etc. And we can use their passive
form for distancing in two different ways. Check the examples below:
It is said that they are in Las Vegas.
They are said to be in Las Vegas.
It is said that… + subject + verb
We can use the passive of a reporting verb in a sentence after an
introductory it: It + passive reporting verb + (that) + clause (subject +
verb)
It is believed that the murderer is no longer in the country.
It has been announced that they are going to cancel the tour.
It has been suggested that the team can’t be trusted defensively.
It was thought the building could collapse.
Someone is said to + infinitive
When we use the passive form of a reporting verb after the real subject of a
sentence (and NOT after it), we need to use an infinitive after the passive
of the reporting verb.
Someone is said to do
When the reported action is simultaneous with the reporting, we can use
subject + passive reporting verb + to + infinitive.
He is said to have the biggest private art collection in the country.
They were believed to be secretly in love.
We can also use this form to refer to the future.
She is expected to become a superstar.
Someone is said to be doing
When the reported action is in progress simultaneously with the reporting,
we can also use subject + passive reporting verb + to be + -
ing (continuous infinitive) with dynamic verbs.
They are thought to be living under strict protection.
Someone is said to have done
When the reported action is previous to the reporting (earlier in the past),
we use subject + passive reporting verb + to have + past
participle (perfect infinitive).
She was thought to have left the previous week. (=she left before
people thought about it)
He is claimed to have hit another student. (=he hit another
student first, and people claimed he did it later)
