Reporting verbs like say, believe, and allege form two equivalent impersonal passives: it is rumored that he fled, or promoting the logical subject, he is rumored to have fled. Use a perfect infinitive for an action before the reporting time and a continuous infinitive for an ongoing action.
Grammar Rule
Reporting verbs like say, believe, rumor, allege form two equivalent impersonal passives: It is rumored that he fled, or promoting the logical subject: He is rumored to have fled. Use a perfect infinitive when the reported action happened before the reporting time, a simple infinitive for a simultaneous state, and a continuous infinitive for an ongoing action.
Advanced Reporting Verbs with Impersonal Passive: Rules and Examples
| Structure | Timing | Example |
|---|---|---|
| It is + verb + that… | impersonal, equivalent form | It is feared that hundreds were affected. |
| Subject + is + verb + to have + p.p. | action prior to reporting | He is rumored to have fled the country. |
| Subject + is + verb + to be + -ing | ongoing action at reporting time | She is believed to be working on a project. |
Remember: It is plus reporting verb plus that, and Subject plus is plus reporting verb plus to-infinitive, are equivalent — use the perfect infinitive for actions before the reporting time.
Practice Test
Instructions
Answer each question in the test below using advanced reporting verbs with the impersonal passive correctly. You will get a new random set of questions every time you retake the test, plus a downloadable results summary with your name and score at the end.
C1-23 Advanced Reporting Verbs with Impersonal Passive
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the two equivalent impersonal passive forms?
It is plus reporting verb plus that, and subject plus is plus reporting verb plus to-infinitive, as in it is rumored that he fled and he is rumored to have fled.
When do you use the perfect infinitive after a reporting verb?
When the reported action happened before the reporting time, as in he is rumored to have fled the country.
When do you use the continuous infinitive after a reporting verb?
For an ongoing action at reporting time, as in she is believed to be working on a project.
Why is the impersonal passive common in journalism?
It reports claims without naming a source.