Passive Reporting Structures: Examples & Exercises

Passive Reporting Structures are the passive voice of reporting verbs. These verbs describe what people say, believe, think, know, or report, often when we don’t want to name the source or want to sound objective or formal. It’s very common in the news and academic writing. Test yourself with the quiz below:

Was this too hard? Study the article below and do more exercises at the bottom of the page.

Infographic for Passive Reporting Structures

Reporting verbs in the passive structure

These verbs are commonly and naturally used with the reporting passive.

Belief & opinion: when information is uncertain, general, or based on opinion. It’s normally used in news, academic writing, neutral opinions.

Verbs: believe, think, consider, suppose, assume, expect, estimate, predict

Example: The suspect is believed to be hiding abroad.

Saying & reporting: when information comes from reports, rumors, or unnamed sources. It’s normally used in journalism, formal reports.

Verbs: say, report, claim, allege, announce, state, suggest

Example: The company is said to be under investigation.

Knowledge & evidence: when something is widely known or supported by evidence. It’s normally used in academic or factual contexts.

Verbs: know, understand, acknowledge, recognize, prove, show, demonstrate

Example: The disease is known to spread quickly.

Discovery & observation: when facts emerge through investigation or observation. It’s commonly used in studies, research, investigations.

Verbs: find, discover, observe, note, reveal, identify

Example: The remains were revealed to belong to a child.

Unnatural verbs in this structure: some verbs usually do not work well with the passive reporting + infinitive, they normally require that-clauses or active forms.

Verbs: explain, describe, complain, deny, promise

Why Passive Reporting Structures?

To avoid naming the source: The speaker doesn’t know, or doesn’t want to mention, who said it.

The minister is expected to resign.
(Who expects this? Unclear — intentionally.)

To sound formal or objective: Very common in news reports, academic writing, official statements

The drug is believed to reduce symptoms.

To focus on the subject, not the speaker: The subject becomes the main focus of the sentence. Compare:

• It is believed that the painting is fake.
• The painting is believed to be fake. ✔ (more direct)

To report uncertainty or distance: Often used when the speaker does not guarantee truth.

He is alleged to have committed fraud.
(Important legal distance!)

Passive Reporting Structures – Pattern 1

The “it is said…” structure is an impersonal passive form often used in news reports and academic writing. It sounds neutral and objective and avoids naming the speaker.

This is formed with it + be + past participle of a reporting verb + that-clause.

It is believed that the story is true.
It was reported that the accident had happened overnight.

The tense of be (is / was / has been) shows when the reporting happens, not when the action itself happened.

Passive Reporting Structures – Pattern 2

This pattern lets us transform sentences like: “It is thought that the boy…” into a more direct subject-focused sentence: “The suspect is thought to…” This avoids repeating “It is… that…”, and it is more effective. They will all have a form of infinitive based on the verb tense used. Check it out below:

Present / general

• It is believed that she works for the government.
  ➜ She is believed to work for the government.
• It is thought that the singer is living in Paris.
  ➜ The singer is thought to be living in Paris.

Future

• It is expected that the project will finish in June.
  ➜ The project is expected to finish in June.
• It is planned that the senate will be passing this bill by December.
  ➜ The senate is expected to be passing this bill by December.

Past completed

• It was reported that the plane had landed safely.
  ➜ The plane was reported to have landed safely.
• It is suspected that he stole the documents.
  ➜ He is suspected to have stolen the documents.

Any Past in continuous form

• It is understood that they were arguing before the meeting.
  ➜ They are understood to have been arguing before the meeting.

Past passive state

It is believed that the building was damaged in the storm.
➜ The building is believed to have been damaged in the storm.

Summary Table

Exercises on Passive Reporting Structures

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