It is said that... and He is said to...: reporting opinions in the passive. · about 14 minutes
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What is it? Reporting verbs (say, believe, think, know, report, expect, consider, claim) can be put in the passive in two ways: It is said that he is rich and He is said to be rich. The second form puts the person or thing you are talking about at the start.
Why does it matter? These structures are typical of news reports, essays and formal writing, because they report opinions without naming who holds them.
Where do we use it? "It is believed that the bridge is unsafe." "The bridge is believed to be unsafe." "The thieves are reported to have escaped."
In this lesson you will:
