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In newspapers, reports and other more formal writing, this idea is often expressed with a
structure based on a passive reporting verb. This has the effect of distancing the information. In
this post we look at three such structures:
To do these exercises you need to know the basics of making passive structures. If you need
reminding, you could look at my post - Introduction to the passive
..
Verbs used like this include: agree, announce, believe, calculate, claim, consider, discover,
estimate, expect, feel, hope, know, report, say, show, suggest, think, understand
Note: These verbs are most frequently used in simple and perfect tenses in the present and past.
Remember that verbs like believe, hope, know, think, understand are not used in continuous
tenses.
Rewrite the sentences starting with It plus a passive structure. pay attention
Exercise 1
to tense, but don't add any punctuation. Don't use any contractions.
They felt that the cost was too high.
1.
.
Forecasters have predicted that the weekend will be very cold.
2.
.
They don't think that the government will call an early election.
3.
.
Experts are suggesting that inflation will remain steady.
4.
.
We had understood that the hostages would be released yesterday.
5.
.
Officials have announced that the princess will leave hospital next week.
6.
.
2. He is said to be ...
We can also use a structure with a subject, a passive verb and a to-infinitive:
Verbs used like this include: believe, expect, report, say, think, understand
Infinitive forms
We can use the to-infinitive in various forms. See if you can remember them (use the examples
above to help you):
Exercise 2a Enter the six forms of the to-infinitive of the verb do.
standard We need it immediately.
continuous She appears it right now.
perfect He seems it already.
perfect continuous We seem it for hours.
passive It needs before the end of the week.
passive perfect It appears rather well.
We can use a third pattern with preparatory there and a passive reporting verb followed by a to-
infinitive, especially when saying something exists or existed.
Note the use of tenses, the agreement between the passive reporting verb and the noun phrase,
and the use of standard and perfect infinitives.
Pattern: There is/are + passive verb + to be/to have been + noun phrase
Verbs used like this include: feel, presume, report, say, think, understand
Make passive sentences starting with There is ... or There are ... using the
Exercise 3 reporting verb in brackets in the tense given, plus a standard or perfect infinitive
of be as instructed, plus the phrase given.
many species still undiscovered (think - present simple) - standard
1.
.
considerable support for the idea (understand - present simple) - standard
2.
.
any need to act immediately (not feel - past simple) - standard
3.
.
enough supplies to go round (presume - past simple) - standard
4.
.
a shortage of medicines (report - past simple) - perfect
5.
.
several reasons for the failure (say - present simple) - perfect
6.
.
Make passive sentences starting with the words in italics. Don't use contractions
Exercise 4
and don't add any punctuation.
It is felt that the project is too expensive.
1.
.
It was said that the tax changes helped poorer people.
2.
It is alleged that a fight between rival fans broke out after the match.
3.
.
It has been reported that more bad weather is on the way.
4.
.
5. It was believed that the company were about to announce redundancies.
It was later considered that his behaviour had been unacceptable.
6.
.
It is expected that new supplies will arrive soon.
7.
.
It had been claimed that the drug was perfectly safe.
8.
.
It is presumed that everybody escaped unharmed from the wreckage.
9.
.
It is now thought that the number of injured is lower than was feared.
10.
.
Make sentences with passive reporting structures starting with the words in given
Exercise 5
in brackets. Don't use contractions and don't add any punctuation.
It is thought that there are more than 400 species of sharks. (There)
1.
Biologists say that sharks share a class with rays and skates. (Sharks)
2.
.
It is said that sharks have 5 to 15 rows of teeth in each jaw. (They)
3.
.
Experts estimate that sharks' teeth fall out after only a week.(It)
4.
.
There is said to be one species that grows to a length of 12 metres. (There)
5.
.
Experts believe that these whale sharks can live for more than 100 years.(It)
6.
.
It was reported that there had been 118 shark attacks in 2011. (There)
7.
.
Experts consider that the danger has been exaggerated (The danger)
8.
.
They consider that only ten shark species are dangerous to humans. (Only)
9.
.
They say that humans are a greater threat to sharks than vice versa. (Humans)
10.
.
..
Bats (adapted from Wikipedia)
Exercise 6 - Read the text, then fill each gap with one word.
It is said (1) the only mammal naturally capable of true and sustained flight is the
bat. Other mammals said (2) fly, such as flying squirrels and gliding possums glide
rather than fly, and can only glide for short distances.
Bats (3) thought to represent about 20% of all classified mammal species
worldwide and (4) are calculated to be about 1,240 bat species in the world. There
(5) sometimes thought to have been one single common bat ancestor, from which
all bat species have evolved.
It (6) believed that about 70% of bats are insectivores, with most of the rest thought
(7) be fruit eaters, and a very few carnivores. There (8) thought to be
bats in almost every habitat available on Earth, with the exception of the two polar regions. In
many places they (9) considered to play a vital role in pollinating seeds and
controlling the numbers of insects pests.
It has (10) contended that Kitti's hog-nosed bat is the smallest extant species of
mammal, although claims have also been made for the Etruscan shrew. (11) is
generally agreed that the largest species of bat is the giant golden-crowned flying fox, which
(12) said to have a wingspan of 1.5 m.
ANSWER KEY:
Exercise 1
Exercise 2a
To do
To be doing
To have done
To have been doing
To be done
To have been done
Exercise 2b
1. to announce
2. to be considering
3. to have been hiding
4. to have escaped
5. to be published
6. to have been arrested
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Exercise 6
1. That
2. To
3. Are
4. There
5. Is
6. Is
7. To
8. Are
9. Are
10. Been
11. It
12. is