Impersonal passive: it is said that…, she is said to… Impersonal passive exercises for news and rumors

This B2 drill lesson gives impersonal passive exercises for reporting what people say, believe or think without saying who, as news and science stories do.

Grammar: It is said that + clause, subject + is said to + infinitive, there are thought to be, the infinitive for now, in progress or earlier, and old beliefs with was.
Topic: Science news: an invented story about eyeless fish in a flooded cave, with science briefs, a Myth or fact? column, readers' comments and a chat with Tomasz.
Activities: Rewrites, sorting, choices, verb gaps, same-meaning pairs, memory games, matching, tables, word order, find-the-mistake quizzes, drag-and-drop articles, a chat and a test.

What's inside

Chapter 1The rule
- PictureUnlock
- Study the scheme: the impersonal passiveGrammar schemeTry it
- Is the sentence correct? Mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
- Sort the phrases: now or earlier?Sort into columnsTry it
- Choose the right formChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps with the passive of the verbFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 2It is said that…
- Write the sentences again: It + the passive + thatFill in the gapsTry it
- Choose the right form: then or now?Choose the optionUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: the same meaningMemory gameUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right wordsQuizUnlock
- Put the words in the right orderUnjumbleUnlock
- Read today's news briefs and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 3She is said to have…
- Write the sentences again: start with the subjectFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right infinitive: now, in progress or earlier?Choose the optionTry it
- Fill in the gaps: is / are + the passive + the right infinitiveFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read the pairs and mark true or false: the same meaning?True or falseUnlock
- Read the article and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right correctionQuizUnlock
- Match the sentences with the same meaningMatchUnlock
Chapter 4There are thought to be…
- Choose the right form: there is or there are?Choose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: there + the passive + to beFill in the gapsUnlock
- Write the sentences again: from It … that to the subjectFill in the gapsUnlock
- Fill in the table: one fact, three waysFill in the tableTry it
- Put the words in order to make news sentencesUnjumbleUnlock
- Read the news story and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Choose the sentence with the same meaningQuizUnlock
Chapter 5Real life: The ghost fish of Hollowfen
- Read the science news storyReal-life documentUnlock
- Read the story again: true or false?True or falseUnlock
- Read this week's science briefs and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read the Myth or fact? column and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Read the readers' comments and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
- Choose the right replies: Tomasz texts youChatTry it
- Test yourself: choose the right answerQuizUnlock
Chapter 6Homework
- Choose the right form: everyday newsChoose the optionUnlock
- Write the sentences again with It and the passiveFill in the gapsUnlock
- Write the sentences again with the subject firstFill in the gapsUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: news sentencesUnjumbleUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: It … that and the subjectMemory gameUnlock
- Sort the phrases: the same time as the saying or before it?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Fill in the table: in general, right now, before nowFill in the tableUnlock
- Find the mistake: newspaper EnglishQuizUnlock
- Match the beginnings and the endingsMatchUnlock
- Choose the right form: there + the passiveChoose the optionUnlock
- Is it correct English? Mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: everyday news with is / are + the passiveFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right answer: mixed practiceQuizUnlock
- Read Amara's email and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Marit's review and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock

Grammar: the impersonal passive: It is said that…, she is said to…

News, science and reports often pass on what people say, believe or think without naming them. Two patterns carry the same fact: It is said that the castle has a secret tunnel and The castle is said to have a secret tunnel. The active People say that… is correct too, only less formal.

It is said that… / She is said to…

Report what people say, believe or think without saying who. It's common in news, science and reports.

It + passive + that + a full sentence

Start with It is or It was and a past participle such as said, believed, thought, known, reported, expected or estimated, then that and a sentence with its own subject and verb: It is believed that the fire started in a garage.

Pattern 1: It + passive + that…

It + is / wassaid / believed / thought…that + a full sentence

It is said that the castle has a secret tunnel.

It is believed that the fire started in a garage.

It was thought that the island was empty.

Verbs used like this

said
believed
thought
known
reported
expected
estimated
considered (to be)

Subject + passive + to + infinitive

Or put the subject first and follow the passive with to: The fire is believed to have started in a garage. The island was thought to be empty. The two patterns never mix: is said to have, not is said that it has.

subject + is / are / was / weresaid / believed / thought…to + infinitive

The castle is said to have a secret tunnel.

The fire is believed to have started in a garage.

The island was thought to be empty.

Which infinitive? The time decides

To + verb is the same time as the saying (She is said to live in Lisbon), or the future after expected. To be + -ing is in progress, and to have + past participle is earlier: He is said to have left the city in 2019.

Infinitive	When?	Example
to + verb	the same time as the saying: now, in general	She is said to live in Lisbon.
to + verb (with expect)	the future	The storm is expected to arrive tonight.
to be + -ing	in progress at that time	The team is thought to be working on a new engine.
to have + past participle	earlier than the saying	He is said to have left the city in 2019.

There is / there are + thought to be

With there, add to be, and let the verb agree with the noun after it: There is thought to be a second cave. There are believed to be 500 fish. For an old belief, use the past: There were said to be wolves here.

There is / There are + thought to be

For "there is / there are", use there + is / are + said, thought… + to be. The verb agrees with the noun after it: There is thought to be a second cave. There are believed to be 500 fish. An old belief: There were said to be wolves here.

Old beliefs, negatives and common mistakes

The tower was thought to be safe means people thought so then. Negatives: The water isn't thought to be dangerous. It isn't known why the birds left. Watch for It is reported the singer to be ill and is believed to has landed.

One fact, different ways (all correct)

Form	Example
active (fine, less formal)	People say that the lake is very deep.
It … that	It is said that the lake is very deep.
subject … to	The lake is said to be very deep.
there … to be	There are thought to be 300 fish in it.
an old belief	The tower was thought to be safe. (People thought so then.)
negative	The water isn't thought to be dangerous. · It isn't known why the birds left.

Common mistakes

The museum is said that it has 3,000 paintings.
The museum is said to have 3,000 paintings.
subject + to…, or: It is said that the museum has…
It is reported the singer to be ill.
It is reported that the singer is ill.
after It is said / reported: that + a full sentence
The pilot is believed to has landed.
The pilot is believed to have landed.
to + the base form: to have, never to has
The castle is said to burn down in 1720.
The castle is said to have burned down in 1720.
earlier than the saying: to have + past participle

Examples

It is reported that two climbers are missing.news: It … that
The old mill is said to be haunted.now: to + verb
Hundreds of fans are believed to be waiting outside.in progress: to be + -ing
The painter is thought to have lived here as a child.earlier: to have + past participle
There are estimated to be 2,000 people in the square.plural noun → are
The hotel is considered (to be) the best in town.after considered, to be can go

More lessons on this grammar: Passive voice lessons and exercises · Reported speech lessons and exercises

Try the impersonal passive exercises

Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.

What's in the lesson

40 auto-checked exercises
5 games
1 real-life document
1 grammar scheme
1 picture

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

report a belief with It + passive + that: It is believed that last night's fire started in an old oven.
start with the subject and add to + infinitive: The museum is said to have a secret room, not The museum is said that it has
choose the infinitive for the time: to eat, to be hiding, to have found: The old man is said to have found gold in the river in 1920.
use there + passive + to be, with the verb matching the noun: There are thought to be about 40 bears in the national park.

Grammar:: impersonal passive · it is said that · be said to + infinitive · there is thought to be · perfect infinitive
Topic:: grammar practice · science news · nature · myths · rumors

Teaching tips

Turn harmless rumors into headlines: each student invents one about the school (People say the cafeteria will sell pizza), and a partner rewrites it in both patterns for a class news board.
Head three columns on the board: to live (now), to be living (in progress), to have lived (earlier); before each gap, students name the column from the time words in the sentence.
Add a myth of your own: after the Myth or fact? column, groups write one more popular belief with is often said to or it is widely believed that for the class to discuss.

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The whole course: English Grammar Practice · B2

English Grammar Practice · B2 has 24 drill lessons, one grammar point each: the future perfect and continuous, the third and mixed conditionals, wishes, past modals, the impersonal passive, have something done, participle clauses, reporting verbs and verb patterns. Each has the rule as a scheme, 43 to 47 exercises that check themselves, 15 of them for homework, and no new words.See the course

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