At an advanced level, the passive does more than hide the doer. It lets you report what people say or believe without taking a side, it follows verbs like want and hate, and it combines with modals. You'll see these forms constantly in the news, in reports and in formal email.
The pattern
It is believed that the fire started in the kitchen.
The CEO is said to be stepping down.
The suspect is thought to have left the state.
01Two ways to report a belief
With verbs like say, believe, think, report, expect, know, consider, estimate and claim, you have two passive structures. It is said that + clause keeps the original sentence whole. Subject + is said + to-infinitive puts the person or thing first, which sounds tighter and is very common in news writing.
Don't mix the two: the chef is said that he... is wrong.
- It is reported that two people were injured.
- Two people are reported to have been injured.
- It is expected that interest rates will rise.
- Interest rates are expected to rise.
02Choosing the right infinitive
Compare the time of the event with the time of the belief. If the event is at the same time or later, use to + verb or to be + -ing. If the event came before, use to have + past participle. The reporting verb can be past too: he was thought to be abroad.
| The event is | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a state now | to + verb | She is said to live in Denver. |
| in progress now | to be + -ing | He is thought to be hiding in Mexico. |
| in the future | to + verb | The storm is expected to hit Friday. |
| in the past | to have + participle | The house is said to have belonged to a senator. |
| past and passive | to have been + participle | The bridge is thought to have been built in the 1880s. |
03Passive infinitives and gerunds
After verbs that take an infinitive (want, expect, hope, need, ask, deserve), use to be + past participle. After verbs and prepositions that take -ing (enjoy, avoid, mind, remember, without, after, about), use being + past participle. Like and hate take either. Perfect forms exist too: to have been chosen, having been warned.
- Nobody likes being kept waiting.
- I'd like to be included on the email thread.
- He left the meeting without being noticed.
- She's proud to have been selected for the program.
04Modals and the get-passive
With modals, use modal + be + participle for the present or future, and modal + have been + participle for the past. Get + participle is the informal American passive for things that happen to people, often suddenly or unpleasantly: got fired, got hired, got stuck. Keep it out of formal writing.
- This form must be signed by a manager.
- The email could have been sent to the wrong address.
- My brother got promoted last month.
- Our flight got canceled.
05Common mistakes
He is said that he is a millionaire.
He is said to be a millionaire.
Use It is said that + clause, or subject + is said to. Don't mix them.
The ship is believed to sink in 1912.
The ship is believed to have sunk in 1912.
A past event needs the perfect infinitive: to have + past participle.
I hate being interrupt.
I hate being interrupted.
The passive gerund is being + past participle.
The report should been finished yesterday.
The report should have been finished yesterday.
Past modal passive: modal + have been + past participle.