Passive voice with reporting verbs

Tags:
Clauses
Indirect speech
Infinitive
Passive
If we want to avoid mentioning the generalized agents we, they, people, everybody, one etc. with
reporting verbs, we can use the following passive patterns:
It + passive reporting verb + that-clause
In this pattern, the generalised agent + active reporting verb is replaced with it + passive
reporting verb:
Everybody knows that my grandfather likes red wine.
It is known that my grandfather likes red wine.
Subject + passive reporting verb + to-infinitive
In this pattern we start with the subject of the reported clause, which is followed by the passive
reporting verb and the to-infinitive form of the verb in the reported clause:
Everybody knows that my grandfather likes red wine.
My grandfather is known to like red wine.
The reporting verb (is known) is in the same tense as it was in the active sentence (knows). The
type of to-infinitive we use (to like) corresponds to the temporal relationship between the action
of reporting and the reported event. This temporal relationship can be of two basic types:
The reporting and the reported event happen simultaneously (as in the example above).
The reported event happens before the reporting.
The following table shows examples of reporting verbs which can be used with the patterns
above:
Examples of reporting verbs used in the passive voice
allege
discover
know
assume
estimate
observe
believe
expect
presume
claim
feel
prove
consider
find
report
declare
intend
reveal
Reporting a simultaneous event in the passive voice
Reporting an earlier event in the passive voice
It Is Said That / He Is Said To
(Be) Supposed To

Main clause + noun clause can be made passive in two ways.

Example 1:
Active: People say that he lives abroad now.
Passive 1: Its said that he lives abroad now.
Passive 2: He is said to live abroad now.
Also See:
Passive Voice

say
see
show
suppose
think
understand

Example 2:
Active: People believe that he is the hero of the town.
Passive 1: Its believed that he is the hero of the town.
Passive 2: He is believed to be the hero of the town.
Present "Be":
Active: They say (that) the man is a thief.
Passive 1: Its said that the man is a thief.
Passive 2: The man is said to be a thief.
Simple Present Noun Clause:
Active: We understand that he dislikes children.
Passive 1: Its understood that he dislikes children.
Passive 2: He is understood to dislike children.
Past "Be":
Active: They say that he was very rich in the past.
Passive 1: Its said that he was rich in the past.
Passive 2: He is said to have been very rich in the past.
Simple past Noun Clause:
Active: People claim that he left the country two months ago.
Passive 1: Its claimed that he left the country two months ago.
Passive 2: He is claimed to have left the country two months ago.
Present Perfect Noun Clause:
Active: People think that he has deserted his family.
Passive 1: Its thought that he has deserted his family.
Passive 2: He is thought to have deserted his family.
Present Continuous Noun Clause:
Active: We think he is waiting there now.
Passive 1: Its thought that he is waiting there now.
Passive 2: He is thought to be waiting there now.
Past Continuous Noun Clause:
Active: People say he was working very hard.
Passive 1: Its said that he was working very hard.
Passive 2: He is said to have been working very hard.
Future Tense (will or going to) Noun Clause:
Active: People expect that the rate of exchange will go down soon.
Passive 1: Its expected that the rate of crime will go down soon.
Passive 2: The rate of crime is expected to go down soon.
Present Passive Noun Clause:

Active: They say that a lot of electrical appliances are stolen every day.
Passive 1: Its said that a lot of electrical appliances are stolen every day.
Passive 2: A lot of electrical appliances are said to be stolen every day.
Past Passive Noun Clause:
Active: They report that two people were killed in the explosion.
Passive 1: Its reported that two people were killed in the explosion.
Passive 2: Two people are reported to have been killed in the explosion.
Note:
Common verbs similar to believe, say are claim, understand, think, suppose, expect, report,
acknowledge, assume, estimate, consider etc.