5th LEVEL. GRAMMAR UNIT 8
EOI REUS
REPORTED AND IMPERSONAL PASSIVE
With opinion verbs such as
allege, believe, consider, estimate, expect, know, report,
say, think, understand
a passive construction is used when reporting people’s
generalized opinions.
This happens because the action referred to is more important than the subject who is
doing the action, usually because it would be a weak subject (they, people).
You can build this kind of sentences following both these structures:
IT + PASSIVE OPINION VERB + THAT CLAUSE
PERSONAL SUBJECT + PASSIVE OPINION VERB + TO INFINITIVE
Depending on the tense reference in the active sentence, the infinitive may vary into
perfect infinitive (to have + pp), present continuous infinitive (to be + -ing form),
perfect continuous infinitive (to have been + -ing form), or perfect passive infinitive (to
have been + pp).
1. PRESENT REFERENCE
People say that Sam is in the UK.
It is said that Sam is in the UK.
Sam is said to be in the UK.
2. PAST REFERENCE
People know that Shane left Galway last week.
It is known that Shane left Galway last week.
Shane is known to have left Galway last week.
3. CONTINUOUS PRESENT/PAST REFERENCE
People rumour that George is / was visiting his relatives.
It is rumoured that George is / was visiting his relatives.
George is rumoured to be visiting / to have been visiting his relatives.
4. PASSIVE REFERENCE
People consider that Jane was badly mistreated.
It is considered that Jane was badly mistreated.
Jane is considered to have been badly mistreated.
ALSO KEEP IN MIND
If the reporting or opinion verb is in the past in the active sentence, it stays the
same in the passive sentence:
People thought she had paid too much.
It was thought that she had paid too much.
She was thought to have paid too much.
