PASSIVE REPORT STRUCTURE / IMPERSONAL PASSIVE

CHAPTER 13
GRADE XI

Compiled by :
Theresia Riya Vernalita H, S.Pd

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Impersonal construction is used to report what people say or believe, don´t know, or
don´t want to say, who exactly the `people´ are. The verbs that refer to saying or
thinking (calculate, claim, consider, discover, estimate, expect, feel, hope,
prove, report, show, understand, think, believe, say, report, know, consider,
presume, hope…) are often followed by a to-infinitive form in the passive.

Example:

The idea can be expressed in two different ways. Those are:

Subject + passive of reporting verb + ‘to’ infinitive

People say that Bandung is a nice city  Bandung is said to be a nice city

The same idea can be expressed by using the passive in two different ways: a) subject
+ passive of reporting verb + `to´ infinitive Hundreds of thousands of birds are
believed to have died. b) It + passive of reporting verb + that + clause It is believed
that hundreds of thousands of birds died

IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS TYPE OF PASSIVE SENTENCE:

1. Take the subject of the second sentence: Paris

There are FOUR INFINITIVE FORMS, which we will use depending on the tense
we have
in the active sentence.

Simple To write
Continuous To be writing
Perfect To have written
Perfect Continuous To have been writing

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WHICH FORM OF THE INFINITIVE DO WE USE?
 If it carries an idea of present or future  Simple: to write
 If it carries an idea of past
whatever the tense (Past Simple, Past Perfect, Present Perfect)  Perfect: to
have written.
 If either of them are in a continuous form, you use the adequate Infinitive
continuous form  to be writing or to have been writing

SOME MORE EXAMPLES:

Active Passive
They say she works hard She is said to work hard.
They say she played well She is said to have played well.
They said she has done well She was said to have done well.
They believe he is having an answer He is believed to be having an answer
They believe he is having an answer He is believed to be having an answer
They believe he has been having an He is believed to have been having an
answer answer.
She believes the repairs have been The repairs are believed to have been
finished finished.

It + passive of reporting verb + that + clause

Example:
People believe that English is the most widely spoken language  It is believed
that English is the most widely spoken language.

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EXERCISES

Change the sentences into passive report structure

Example :
Police have reported that it was Peter who caused the accident.
 It has been reported that it was Peter who caused the accident.
 Peter has been reported to have caused the accident.

1. A journalist reports that they are leaving Las Vegas tomorrow night.
- It______________________________________________________________
- They___________________________________________________________
2. The lecturer thought that Columbus never realized that he had discovered
America.
- It______________________________________________________________
- Columbus ______________________________________________________
3. Their parents thought that the teenagers were dancing at the disco.
- It _____________________________________________________________
- The teenagers ___________________________________________________
4. Everybody thinks that she sings beautifully
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. The children reported that their friends were swimming when they disappeared.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
6. People believed that they had killed the animals during the night.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
7. My friends think that my parents are the best parents in the world.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
8. People are thinking that drugs are very dangerous.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

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9. Everybody says that he settled the business.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
10. The reporters believed that the meeting would finish soon.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
11. They have thought the sportsmen are arriving today.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
12. Citizens presume that the government is responsible for the accident.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
13. The newspapers are reporting that the most outstanding athletes represent their
country.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
14. The shareholders thought that the group had rejected the offer.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
15. People think that neither side wanted war.
Neither side is ______________________________________________________
16. People say that fewer than 1,000 blue whales survive in the southern
hemisphere.
Fewer _____________________________________________________________
17. Everyone knows that eating fruit is good for you.
Eating fruit ________________________________________________________
18. People consider that one in three bathing beaches is unfit for swimming. One in
three bathing beaches _______________________________________________
19. At least 130,000 dolphins are reported to be caught in the nets of tuna fishers
every year.
It is _______________________________________________________________

20. They felt that the cost was too high.

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 __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
21. Forecasters have predicted that the weekend will be very cold.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

22. They don't think that the government will call an early election.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

23. Experts are suggesting that inflation will remain steady.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

24. We had understood that the hostages would be released yesterday.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

25. Officials have announced that the princess will leave hospital next week.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________