Simple explanation
What are complex reporting passives? Complex reporting passives are used when the speaker or writer wants to report a belief, claim, expectation, assumption, or piece of information without making the source the grammatical focus. Instead of saying People believe that the company is expanding, we can say It is believed that the company is expanding or The company is believed to be expanding. These forms are especially common in formal writing, journalism, academic prose, and institutional communication. The two core reporting passive patterns The first pattern is impersonal: It + be + past participle of a reporting verb + that-clause. For example, It is reported that the negotiations have resumed. The second pattern is personal: subject + be + past participle of a reporting verb + infinitive. For example, The negotiations are reported to have resumed. The second version is usually more compact and places the reported subject in a more prominent position. Why infinitive choice matters at C1 At an advanced level, the main challenge is not forming is believed to. It is selecting the infinitive that correctly expresses the relationship between the reporting time and the reported event. Use a simple infinitive for a simultaneous state or expected future event, a continuous infinitive for an ongoing action, a perfect infinitive for an earlier event, and a perfect continuous infinitive for an activity that had already been continuing. Active and passive meaning inside the infinitive The infinitive itself can be active or passive. Compare The researchers are believed to have identified the problem with The problem is believed to have been identified. In the first sentence, the researchers perform the action. In the second, the problem receives the action. This distinction is essential when building more complex C1 reporting structures. Negative and question forms Negation normally appears with the finite form of be: He is not believed to be involved. The equivalent impersonal form is It is not believed that he is involved. Questions are formed by moving be before the subject: Is he believed to be involved? In the impersonal pattern, questions such as Was it reported that the system had failed? are also possible, although reporting passives are more common in statements. Register, distance, and certainty Reporting passives are not only grammatical alternatives. They also affect tone. They can make a statement sound more formal, impersonal, or detached. However, different reporting verbs express different relationships to the information. Alleged marks a claim as unproven, reported presents it as reported information, expected refers to prediction or anticipation, while known suggests stronger evidential support. Choosing the reporting verb carefully is therefore part of accurate C1 usage.
Grammar formula
Impersonal reporting passive
It + be + reporting verb (past participle) + that + clauseIt is believed that the suspect has left the country.
Personal reporting passive with simple infinitive
Subject + be + reporting verb (past participle) + to + base verbThe scientist is believed to live abroad.
Personal reporting passive with continuous infinitive
Subject + be + reporting verb (past participle) + to be + verb-ingThe company is believed to be considering a merger.
Personal reporting passive with perfect infinitive
Subject + be + reporting verb (past participle) + to have + past participleThe suspect is believed to have left the country.
Personal reporting passive with perfect continuous infinitive
Subject + be + reporting verb (past participle) + to have been + verb-ingThey are believed to have been working together for years.
Personal reporting passive with passive infinitive
Subject + be + reporting verb (past participle) + to be + past participleThe new system is expected to be launched next month.
Personal reporting passive with perfect passive infinitive
Subject + be + reporting verb (past participle) + to have been + past participleSeveral documents are believed to have been destroyed.
Negative form
Subject + be + not + reporting verb (past participle) + infinitiveHe is not believed to pose a serious risk.
Question form
Be + subject + reporting verb (past participle) + infinitive?Is the minister expected to resign?
Core rules
- 1
Use an impersonal It-structure for general reporting
Use It + be + past participle + that-clause when the source is unimportant, unknown, or deliberately backgrounded. Example: It is believed that the policy will change.
- 2
Use the personal structure for a more compact sentence
Move the subject of the that-clause to the front and follow the passive reporting verb with an infinitive: The policy is believed to be effective.
- 3
Use a simple infinitive for simultaneous states or future events
Use to + base verb when the reported situation is generally true, simultaneous with the report, or expected later: He is believed to live abroad. She is expected to arrive tomorrow.
- 4
Use a continuous infinitive for an action in progress
Use to be + verb-ing when the reported action is ongoing at the relevant time: The company is believed to be negotiating with investors.
- 5
Use a perfect infinitive for an earlier event
Use to have + past participle when the reported event happened before the time of reporting: He is believed to have left the country.
- 6
Use a perfect continuous infinitive for earlier duration
Use to have been + verb-ing when the activity had already been continuing for some time: She is believed to have been working on the project for months.
- 7
Use a passive infinitive when the subject receives the action
Use to be + past participle when the reported event is passive and simultaneous or future: The bridge is expected to be reopened next week.
- 8
Use a perfect passive infinitive for an earlier passive event
Use to have been + past participle when the subject received an action before the reporting time: The records are believed to have been destroyed.
- 9
Match the reporting verb to the intended meaning
Do not treat reporting verbs as interchangeable. Believe and think express views, report presents information as reported, expect expresses prediction, understand often signals indirect information, and allege marks a claim as unproven.
Useful examples
It is widely believed that the economy will recover gradually.
Many people believe that the economy will slowly recover.
The impersonal It-pattern presents a widespread belief without naming a specific source.
The economy is believed to be recovering gradually.
People believe that the economy is currently recovering little by little.
To be recovering emphasizes an ongoing process.
The former director is believed to have left the country several months ago.
People believe that the former director left the country several months ago.
To have left shows that the departure happened before the reporting time.
Several companies are reported to be considering similar measures.
Reports suggest that several companies are currently considering similar measures.
To be considering marks an action in progress.
The missing documents are thought to have been destroyed deliberately.
People think that the missing documents were deliberately destroyed earlier.
To have been destroyed combines perfect meaning with passive voice.
The new treatment is expected to be approved later this year.
People expect the new treatment to receive approval later this year.
To be approved refers to a future passive event.
She is understood to have been working with the research team since 2024.
Available information suggests that she has been working with the research team since 2024.
To have been working emphasizes duration that began earlier and continued over time.
It was alleged that confidential information had been shared with competitors.
Someone claimed that confidential information had been shared with competitors, but the claim was not necessarily proven.
Alleged creates distance from the truth of the claim.
The two systems are considered to be fundamentally different.
The two systems are generally regarded as fundamentally different.
Considered to be is common in formal evaluations and analytical writing.
He is not believed to have played a direct role in the incident.
People do not believe that he directly participated in the incident.
The negative applies to the belief, while to have played refers to an earlier event.
Is the company expected to announce further cuts?
Do people expect the company to announce more cuts?
The finite verb is moves before the subject to form the question.
It has been reported that negotiations have resumed.
Reports indicate that the negotiations have started again.
Has been reported presents the reporting itself as relevant to the present.
The negotiations are reported to have resumed after a two-week break.
According to reports, the negotiations restarted after a two-week break.
To have resumed shows that the restart occurred before the report.
The device is said to perform significantly better under low-light conditions.
People say that the device works much better when there is little light.
To perform describes a current or general characteristic.
More than a hundred employees are estimated to have been affected by the disruption.
It is estimated that the disruption affected more than one hundred employees.
Estimated signals approximation, while to have been affected describes an earlier passive situation.
Common mistakes
- ❌ The suspect is believed that he left the country. ✅ The suspect is believed to have left the country. The personal reporting passive requires an infinitive after is believed, not a that-clause. Because the departure happened earlier, the perfect infinitive is needed.
- ❌ He is believed to leave the country last night. ✅ He is believed to have left the country last night. Last night refers to a completed earlier event, so to have left is required.
- ❌ The company is reported to considering a merger. ✅ The company is reported to be considering a merger. The continuous infinitive must be formed with to be + verb-ing.
- ❌ The documents are believed to have destroyed. ✅ The documents are believed to have been destroyed. The documents receive the action, so the perfect infinitive must also be passive.
- ❌ It is believed the company to be in financial difficulty. ✅ It is believed that the company is in financial difficulty. The impersonal It-pattern is normally followed by a complete that-clause.
- ❌ The minister is expected that he will resign. ✅ The minister is expected to resign. The personal reporting structure takes an infinitive after is expected, not a that-clause.
- ❌ The researchers are believed to have been completed the experiment. ✅ The researchers are believed to have completed the experiment. The researchers perform the action, so an active perfect infinitive is needed.
- ❌ She believed to be one of the leading experts. ✅ She is believed to be one of the leading experts. The reporting passive requires a finite form of be before the past participle believed.
Learning tips
- Always compare the reporting time with the time of the reported event before choosing the infinitive.
- If the event clearly happened earlier, check whether a perfect infinitive is required.
- If the action is in progress at the relevant time, consider to be + verb-ing.
- Decide whether the subject performs the action or receives it before choosing an active or passive infinitive.
- It is said that and Subject is said to may communicate similar content, but the second structure is more compact.
- Use alleged carefully. It signals that a claim exists without presenting it as established fact.
- In academic writing, reporting passives are useful when the source is unknown, unimportant, or already understood, but an important evidential source should not be hidden unnecessarily.
- Do not assume be supposed to is always a reporting passive. It can also express expectation, arrangement, obligation, or intended behavior.
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PlannedRelated grammar
Related dictionary words
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between It is believed that and is believed to?
Both can report similar information. It is believed that is followed by a complete that-clause, while the personal structure moves the reported subject to the front and uses an infinitive after is believed.
When should I use to have after is believed or is reported?
Use a perfect infinitive when the reported event happened before the reporting time. For example, He is believed to have left means that the leaving occurred earlier.
Can every reporting verb be used in the subject + passive + infinitive pattern?
No. The pattern is common with a limited group of verbs such as say, believe, think, report, expect, consider, know, understand, estimate, and allege.
What is the difference between to be doing and to have been doing?
To be doing describes an action that is in progress at the relevant time. To have been doing describes an activity that started earlier and had already been continuing for a period of time.
Why do we say to have been destroyed instead of to have destroyed?
To have destroyed is active and means that the subject destroyed something. To have been destroyed is passive and means that something destroyed the subject or object referred to.
Are reporting passives only used in written English?
No. They also occur in spoken English, especially in formal discussions, news reports, presentations, and institutional settings. However, they are more characteristic of formal registers than casual conversation.
Does It is said that always mean exactly the same as People say that?
The core meaning is often similar, but the passive version is more impersonal and places less emphasis on who is making the statement.
Is be supposed to the same as be said to?
No. Be supposed to can sometimes reflect reported expectations, but it also commonly expresses obligation, arrangement, intention, or what is generally expected to happen.