Page 73 - Advanced English Grammar in Use

R e p o r t i n g w i t h p a s s i v e v e r b s

We often use a passive to report what people say, think, etc., particularly if we want to avoid
mentioning who said or thought what we are reporting:
• People in the area have been told that they should stay indoors.
• Everyone was asked to bring some food to the party.
A common way of reporting what is said by people in general or by an unspecified group of
people is to use it + passive verb + that-clause (see Units 44 and 45 for more on that-c\auses):
• It is reported that the finance minister is to resign.
• It has been acknowledged that underfunding is part of the problem.
• It can be seen that prices rose sharply in September.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Other verbs that can be used in this pattern include agree, allege, announce, assume, calculate,
claim, consider, decide, declare, discover, estimate, expect, feel, find, know, mention, propose,
recommend, say, show, suggest, suppose, think, understand.
«Notice that many other verbs are not used in this pattern, including inform, persuade, reassure,
•remind, tell, warn.
With the verbs agree, decide, forbid, hope, plan, and propose, we can use it + passive verb + to-
infinitive (notice that some of these are also used in the pattern it + passive verb + that-dause):
• It was agreed to postpone the meeting.
• It has been decided to build a road around the village.

+
В ^ n a l t e r n a t : i v e t o it passive verb + that-clause is to use subject + passive verb + to-infinitive:
• It was expected that the damage would be extensive, or
• The damage was expected to be extensive.
• It had been thought that the chemicals convey important information to the brain, or
• The chemicals had been thought to convey important information to the brain.
«Most of the verbs listed in the box in A can also be used in this pattern except for agree,
• announce, decide, mention, propose, recommend, suggest.

We can only use tell in this pattern when it means 'order'. So we can say:
• I was told (= ordered) to go with them to the railway station.
but not 'The accident was told (= said) to have happened just after midnight'.

When a that-dause begins that + there..., we can make a passive form there + passive verb + to
be. Compare:
• It is thought (that) there are too many obstacles to peace, or
• There are thought to be too many obstacles to peace.
• In 1981 it was reported (that) there were only two experts on the disease in the country, or
• In 1981 there were reported to be only two experts on the disease in the country.
• It was alleged (that) there had been a fight, or
• There was alleged to have been a fight.,
We can use the same verbs in this pattern as with subject + passive verb + to-infinitive (see B).
Reporting =