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Passive Report Structure Module

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Amasha Kadinappulige
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144 views

Passive Report Structure Module

Uploaded by

Amasha Kadinappulige
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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PASSIVE REPORT STRUCTURE / IMPERSONAL PASSIVE

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.

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.

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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.

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