Advanced Passive Constructions
B2 Advanced Passive Constructions 📰
Section titled “ Advanced Passive Constructions 📰”Basic passive: “The cake was eaten.” Fine. Useful. You learned it.
Advanced passive: “It is said that the cake was poisoned.” Now we’re in news headline territory — impersonal, distanced, “I’m not claiming this, I’m reporting that others claim it.”
These constructions let you talk about what people believe, report, or allege without naming who believes it. Perfect for academic papers, journalism, and gossip with plausible deniability.
Why advanced passives exist
Section titled “Why advanced passives exist”Basic passive shifts focus from doer to receiver:
Someone built this bridge. → This bridge was built (by someone).
Advanced passive shifts focus from specific claimer to general report:
People say the CEO is resigning. → It is said that the CEO is resigning.
Who says? Doesn’t matter. We’re reporting the existence of a claim, not making it ourselves. This is the grammar of:
- 📰 News articles (“It is reported that…”)
- 📚 Academic papers (“It is believed that…”)
- ⚖️ Legal language (“He is alleged to have…”)
- 🏛️ Institutional statements (“The company is expected to announce…”)
Pattern 1: It is said/believed/reported that…
Section titled “Pattern 1: It is said/believed/reported that…”It + is + reporting verb (passive) + that + clause
Common reporting verbs (passive form)
Section titled “Common reporting verbs (passive form)”| Verb | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|
| is said | 据说 | General |
| is believed | 被认为 | Academic/formal |
| is reported | 据报道 | News |
| is claimed | 据称 | Neutral/skeptical |
| is alleged | 被指控/据称 | Legal (often negative) |
| is thought | 被认为 | Academic |
| is considered | 被视为 | Evaluative |
| is expected | 预计 | Predictions |
| is estimated | 据估计 | Statistics |
| is understood | 据了解 | Formal |
| is known | 众所周知 | Facts |
| is rumored | 据传 | Gossip |
Examples
Section titled “Examples”It is said that the restaurant uses secret ingredients.
据说那家餐厅用了秘密食材。 (Jùshuō nà jiā cāntīng yòngle mìmì shícái.)
It is believed that climate change is accelerating.
人们认为气候变化正在加速。 (Rénmen rènwéi qìhòu biànhuà zhèngzài jiāsù.)
It is reported that over 1,000 people attended the protest.
据报道，超过1000人参加了抗议。 (Jù bàodào, chāoguò 1000 rén cānjiāle kàngyì.)
It is alleged that the company evaded taxes for years.
据称该公司多年来一直逃税。 (Jù chēng gāi gōngsī duōnián lái yìzhí táoshuì.)
Pattern 2: Subject + is said to be / to have been…
Section titled “Pattern 2: Subject + is said to be / to have been…”Subject + is + reporting verb (passive) + to + infinitive
This pattern makes the person/thing the grammatical subject:
It is said that he is a genius.
→ Impersonal. The “it” carries nothing. Content in that-clause.
He is said to be a genius.
→ Personal. “He” is the subject. “To be” carries the meaning.
Same information. Pattern 2 is slightly more common in news headlines because it front-loads the person.
To be vs. to have been — the tense trick
Section titled “To be vs. to have been — the tense trick”The infinitive encodes when the reported situation applies:
| Infinitive | Time | Example |
|---|---|---|
| to be | Present | He is said to be the best candidate |
| to have been | Past | He is said to have been the best candidate (at some past point) |
| to have + V3 | Past action | She is believed to have left yesterday |
The artist is said to be working on a new album.
→ Present: the artist is currently working (according to reports).
The artist is said to have been working on the album for two years.
→ Past duration: reports say the work has been ongoing (up to now or recently).
The suspect is alleged to have stolen over $1 million.
→ Past action: the alleged theft happened in the past.
More examples with Mandarin
Section titled “More examples with Mandarin”She is considered to be the leading expert in the field.
她被认为是该领域的顶尖专家。 (Tā bèi rènwéi shì gāi lǐngyù de dǐngjiān zhuānjiā.)
The company is expected to announce layoffs next week.
预计该公司下周将宣布裁员。 (Yùjì gāi gōngsī xià zhōu jiāng xuānbù cáiyuán.)
He is rumored to have been dating her for months.
据传他已经和她交往好几个月了。 (Jù chuán tā yǐjīng hé tā jiāowǎng hǎo jǐ gè yuè le.)
Common mistakes
Section titled “Common mistakes”Pattern 3: Have / Get something done (causative passive)
Section titled “Pattern 3: Have / Get something done (causative passive)”Different advanced passive — you cause someone else to do something:
Subject + have/get + object + past participle (V3)
I had my hair cut yesterday.
→ I didn’t cut my own hair. I paid someone to cut it.
我昨天理发了。 (Wǒ zuótiān lǐfà le.) (Mandarin doesn’t specify “someone else did it” — context handles that.)
She got her car repaired at the garage.
We need to have the roof fixed before winter.
Have vs. Get
Section titled “Have vs. Get”| Verb | Vibe | Example |
|---|---|---|
| have | Neutral, standard | I had my phone repaired |
| get | More casual, sometimes implies effort | I got my phone repaired (maybe after shopping around) |
Both work. Have is safer in formal writing.
Causative vs. regular passive
Section titled “Causative vs. regular passive”My hair was cut (by the barber).
→ Focus on the hair. The barber is optional info.
I had my hair cut.
→ Focus on ME arranging the service. I’m the customer, not the barber.
Common causative collocations
Section titled “Common causative collocations”These are fixed phrases — learn them as chunks:
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| have/get a haircut | 理发 |
| have/get a photo taken | 拍照 |
| have/get something cleaned | 让人清洗 |
| have/get something repaired | 让人修理 |
| have/get blood drawn | 抽血 |
| have/get teeth checked | 看牙 |
Academic and news register
Section titled “Academic and news register”Advanced passives dominate formal writing. Here’s how they show up:
Academic paper openings
Section titled “Academic paper openings”It is widely believed that early exposure to multiple languages enhances cognitive development. It has been suggested that the results may be affected by sample size. It is generally accepted that climate change poses significant risks.
Notice: no “I believe” or “People say.” The claim floats impersonally. Very 被认为.
News headlines
Section titled “News headlines”CEO is rumored to be stepping down Company is expected to report record profits Suspect is alleged to have fled the country
Front-loading the subject (Pattern 2) makes punchy headlines.
Hedging ladder (weak → strong)
Section titled “Hedging ladder (weak → strong)”| Strength | Example | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| It is rumored that | weakest | Gossip, unconfirmed |
| It is reported that | medium | Journalism standard |
| It is believed that | medium-strong | Expert consensus |
| It is known that | strong | Established fact |
| It is proven that | strongest | Scientific claim |
Reporting verb + passive combinations
Section titled “Reporting verb + passive combinations”Some verbs have special passive patterns:
Consider:
He is considered (to be) a genius. He is considered to have been the greatest of his generation.
Know:
He is known to be difficult to work with. It is known that he has a temper.
Expect:
The product is expected to launch in Q3. It is expected that sales will increase.
Claim / Allege (legal):
He is claimed to have embezzled funds. It is alleged that he accepted bribes.
Practice: transform the sentences
Section titled “Practice: transform the sentences”1. People say the food here is amazing. → It is said that the food here is amazing. / The food here is said to be amazing.
2. Experts believe she invented the technique. → It is believed that she invented the technique. / She is believed to have invented the technique.
3. I paid someone to fix my laptop. → I had my laptop fixed.
4. 据说他下周要辞职。 → He is said to be resigning next week. / It is said that he will resign next week.
5. 被认为是最伟大的科学家之一。 → He is considered to be one of the greatest scientists.
Impersonal (that-clause): It + is said/believed/reported/alleged/expected + that + clause
Personal (infinitive): Subject + is said/believed/reported/alleged/expected + to be / to have been / to have + V3
Causative passive: Subject + have/get + object + V3
Infinitive tense: Present state → to be · Past state → to have been · Past action → to have + V3
Try this right now
Section titled “Try this right now”Open a BBC or Reuters article. Search for “is said,” “is expected,” “is reported.” Count how many advanced passives appear in the first three paragraphs. Spoiler: a lot.
Then rewrite one sentence from your own life using an advanced passive:
People say I’m good at grammar → I am said to be good at grammar.
Welcome to news register.
Related pages:
- Passive Voice — the foundation these build on
- Reported Speech — shifting perspectives on claims
- Inversion for Emphasis — another formal register tool
- Mandarin Speaker Guide — impersonal constructions across languages