Reported speech: passive reporting structures
It is thought (that)… / It is said (that)…
Impersonal expressions are often used in informal language:
- People think (that)…
- They say (that)…
- They expect (that)…
However, passive structures are often used in news reports.
- It is thought (that)….
- It is said (that)…
- It is expected (that)…
Consider the following examples:
- People think that the clothing chain ‘Looking Good’ is in trouble.
- They say that the shop is offering huge discounts.
- They expect that the company will close next month.
- It is thought that the clothing chain ‘Looking Good’ is in trouble.
- It is said that the shop is offering huge discounts.
- It is expected that the company will close next month.
The structure here is:
It + verb ‘to be’ + Past Participle of the reporting verb + that + clause
Verbs which are often used in this way include:
assume, believe, consider, estimate, expect, hope, know, report, say, think
The company is thought to be…
We can also use this passive structure:
- ‘Looking Good’ is thought to be in trouble.
- The shop is said to be offering huge discounts.
- The company is expected to close next month.
The structure here is:
Subject + verb ‘to be’ + Past Participle of reporting verb + to infinitive clause
When we are talking about a past action, the structure is:
Subject + verb ‘to be’ + Past Participle of reporting verb + to Perfect infinitive clause
- They believe that competition from online companies was the main reason for its failure.
- Competition from online companies is believed to have been the main reason for its failure.
- They estimate that the company lost about $1million last year.
- The company is estimated to have lost about $1 million last year.