grammar · academic
be + past participle + to + infinitive
Passive reporting structure: be + past participle + to + infinitive (e.g., is believed to have done) used to report information in a formal way.
Examples
“She is believed to have left the country.”
“The document is thought to contain confidential data.”
“He is reported to be the main beneficiary of the will.”
Band 8 sentence
“The minister is widely expected to announce a new funding package for education next month.”
Collocations
- is believed to / is thought to / is said to / was reported to
Common mistakes
He is believed have left.→He is believed to have left.
She was believed that she won the prize.→It was believed that she had won the prize. / She was believed to have won the prize.
Say it for a higher band
5People say that + clause→6It is said that + clause→7+be + past participle + to + infinitive
Synonyms
It + be + past participle + that-clause
Easily confused
It + be + past participle + that-clause
“It is believed that the new policy will reduce emissions.”
Related words
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In The passive
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