19
Unit 19: Passive reporting structures
Transitive and intransitive verbs
Select a unit
- 1 Go beyond intermediate with our new video course
- 2 Reported speech in 90 seconds!
- 3 If or whether?
- 4 5 ways to use 'would'
- 5 Let and allow
- 6 Passive voice
- 7 Unless
- 8 Mixed conditionals
- 9 The zero article - in 90 seconds
- 10 The indefinite article - in 90 seconds
- 11 The. That's right - the! Learn all about it in 90 seconds
- 12 The continuous passive
- 13 Future perfect
- 14 Need + verb-ing
- 15 Have something done
- 16 Wish
- 17 Word stress
- 18 Different ways of saying 'if'
- 19 Passive reporting structures
- 20 The subjunctive
- 21 When and if
- 22 Inversion
- 23 Phrasal verbs
- 24 The future
- 25 Modals in the past
- 26 Narrative tenses
- 27 Phrasal verb myths
- 28 Conditionals review
- 29 Used to - review
- 30 Linking words of contrast
Grammar Reference
Passive reporting structures
Meaning and use
This structure is used to report information in a formal style or to report facts.
Passive structures hide the source of the information. This is because a) it is obvious b) the source is unimportant or is 'people in general', or c) the source is unknown.
Form
1) A passive reporting structure can take this form:
It + passive reporting verb + that-clause
For example:
- It is known that the sky is blue
- It is known that the criminal escaped
- It is thought that chocolate is delicious
2) A passive reporting structure can also take this form:
Subject + passive reporting verb + to-infinitive
For example:
- The sky is known to be blue
- The criminal is known to have escaped
- Chocolate is thought to be delicious