English has a distinctive way of reporting what people think, believe, know, or say — using a passive construction with verbs like say, believe, report, think, know, and consider. Instead of saying People think she is talented, we can say She is thought to be talented or It is thought that she is talented. These passive reporting structures are extremely common in academic writing, journalism, and formal documents — they allow writers to report general opinion or knowledge without naming a specific source. Understanding both structures, how they are formed, and when each is used is an important part of advanced grammatical competence.
Before you start — think honestly about your own teaching and experience.
Look at the examples. Answer each question before reading the explanation — this is how your students will learn too.
Versions A and B are active and name a vague agent. Versions C and D are passive. What is different about how C and D are constructed? And why might a formal writer prefer C or D?
Versions C and D report the same information but omit any specific source — we do not know who says it. This is precisely the point: passive reporting structures are used to present a claim, belief, or fact without attributing it to a specific source. In academic and formal writing, this allows writers to report what is widely believed without having to cite a specific person. It is said that carries a sense of general report. She is said to be presents the subject of the report as the grammatical subject — useful when the person being discussed is the current topic. Both are correct and formal; the choice depends on which element the writer wants to foreground.
Focus on the second structure. What form of the verb follows to in each case? How does the tense of the original that-clause appear in the infinitive?
In the subject-passive structure (she is thought to...), the verb after to is an infinitive — but the form of the infinitive carries tense information. If the original claim is about the present, use the simple infinitive: She is thought to be a good teacher (she is — present). If the original claim is about a past event, use the perfect infinitive: The school is believed to have been founded in 1942 (it was founded — past). He is reported to have resigned (he resigned — past). The infinitive after to must match the time reference of the original claim. To be refers to the present; to have + past participle refers to a past event.
What reporting verbs are used? What effect do these passive reporting structures create?
The reporting verbs are consider, believe, and report. Others in this group include: say, think, know, find, claim, allege, expect, assume, suppose, understand. All can take either the it is + verb + that structure or the subject + be + past participle + to-infinitive structure. The effect in the paragraph is to present claims with authority without naming any specific source. This is typical of formal and academic writing — the passive reporting structure allows the writer to attribute views to general opinion without citing a specific person. This is also why these structures appear frequently in journalism: The minister is reported to have approved the new policy.'
| Form | Use / Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Form | Example |
| Structure 1: It + passive reporting verb + that-clause | It is/was + past participle + that + clause | It is believed that the school has improved significantly. |
| Structure 2: Subject + passive reporting verb + to-infinitive (present) | Subject + is/was + past participle + to be + adjective/noun | The school is believed to be one of the best in the district. |
| Structure 2: Subject + passive reporting verb + to-infinitive (past) | Subject + is/was + past participle + to have + past participle | The head teacher is reported to have introduced new strategies. |
| Common reporting verbs | say, believe, think, report, consider, know, find, claim, expect, assume, suppose, understand, allege | It is claimed that... / She is understood to be... |
| Past form of Structure 1 | It was + past participle + that + clause | It was reported that the results had improved. |
| Key distinction | To be = present reference; To have + past participle = past reference | She is said to be talented. / She is said to have been outstanding. |
IT IS SAID VERSUS IT IS TOLD
A very common error is using it is told that in place of it is said that. Tell requires a specific recipient — you tell someone something. You cannot say it is told that without an object. The correct passive reporting form is always it is said that, not it is told that. This is worth teaching directly because tell is such a high-frequency verb.
IT IS KNOWN THAT
Know is one of the most useful reporting verbs in this structure. It is known that the school has improved. This pattern is used when something is established as fact rather than merely believed or reported. She is known to be hardworking. He is known to have served as head teacher for twenty years. Know carries more certainty than believe or say.
PASSIVE REPORTING IN JOURNALISM AND ACADEMIC WRITING
Passive reporting structures are extremely common in journalism (The minister is reported to have approved the deal), in academic writing (It is widely believed that early intervention improves outcomes), and in legal language (The defendant is alleged to have committed the offence). Understanding these structures is essential for reading these text types fluently and for producing them in appropriate writing tasks.
PASSIVE REPORTING STRUCTURES: QUICK GUIDE - Structure 1: It is/was + past participle + that + full clause. - Structure 2: Subject + is/was + past participle + to-infinitive. - Which infinitive? Present reference: to be/to work. Past reference: to have + past participle. - Which verbs? Say, believe, think, report, consider, know, find, claim, expect, understand. NOT tell. - Can I use it is told that? No — use it is said that. - Does the by-phrase appear? Rarely — these structures are used precisely because no specific source is named.
Complete each sentence using a passive reporting structure. Use the verb given and choose the correct structure and infinitive form.
Each sentence has one error in a passive reporting structure. Write the correct sentence and explain the mistake.
Use this sequence directly in class — guided discovery, no textbook needed. Tap each step to mark it done.
STEP 1 — WHY THESE STRUCTURES EXIST (6 minutes): Write: People say she is an excellent teacher. Ask: who are these people? Now write: She is said to be an excellent teacher. Ask: whose opinion is this? Establish the communicative purpose: passive reporting structures allow writers to present general opinion or knowledge without naming a source. Ask: where might you read sentences like this?
STEP 2 — STRUCTURE 1: IT IS + PAST PARTICIPLE + THAT (7 minutes): Write the pattern and give three examples with different reporting verbs. Ask learners: what stays the same? (It is/was + past participle + that) What changes? (the reporting verb). Introduce the key verbs. Ask learners to convert five active sentences with people believe / people say to Structure 1.
STEP 3 — STRUCTURE 2: SUBJECT + IS + PAST PARTICIPLE + TO-INFINITIVE (8 minutes): Introduce Structure 2 as an alternative where the subject of the belief becomes the grammatical subject. Give three pairs showing both structures. Focus on the tense question: to be (present) versus to have + past participle (past). Practise converting between both structures.
STEP 4 — TELL VERSUS SAY ERROR (4 minutes): Write It is told that... Ask: is this correct? Confirm it is not — it is said that is always the correct form. Give three sentences with it is told that and ask learners to correct each one.
STEP 5 — FIND IN TEXTS (10 minutes): Give learners a short excerpt from a formal document containing passive reporting structures. Ask them to identify each one, name which structure it is, convert it to the other structure, and identify the reporting verb.
Use directly in class — copy, adapt, or read aloud. No printing needed.
For each strategy, choose the option that best describes where you are now.
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