ADVANCED GRAMMAR The Logic of Impersonal Passive (2)
How to say "It is said..." or "He is said to be..." without naming the source. The art of Impersonal Passives.
¿Qué son las Pasivas Impersonales?
Imagínate que quieres contar un cotilleo, una noticia o una creencia general, pero no quieres decir quién te lo ha dicho (o porque no importa, o porque es un secreto). En español decimos cosas como "Se dice que...", "Se rumorea que..." o "Se piensa que...".
En inglés usamos estas estructuras para ser formales y objetivos. Son esenciales para sacar buena nota en Selectividad. Hay dos formas de hacerlo:
1. La Estructura "IT" (Fácil)
Es igual que en español: "Se dice que...".
It + is + VERBO PASIVO + that + frase...
-
1. It is said that he is rich.
(Se dice que él es rico) -
2. It is thought that she lives here.
(Se piensa que ella vive aquí) -
3. It was reported that they left.
(Se informó que se fueron)
2. La Estructura "PRO" (Avanzada)
Aquí ponemos a la PERSONA al principio. Literalmente sería: "Él es dicho ser rico" (suena raro en español, pero es MUY común en inglés).
Persona + is + PASIVA + TO + Infinitivo
-
1. He is said to be rich.
(Se dice que es rico) -
2. She is thought to live here.
(Se piensa que vive aquí) -
3. They were reported to have left.
(Se informó que se habían ido)
Verbos "Llave" (Verbos de Habla y Opinión)
Estos son los verbos que necesitas usar para construir estas frases. ¡Apréndetelos con estas tarjetas!
In English, to sound objective and formal (like a journalist or scientist), we don't say "People say that...". We use Impersonal Passives. There are two distinct ways to build them:
Structure A: The "Dummy IT"
Uses "It" as a placeholder subject. Keeps the original sentence almost exactly the same.
It + is + PARTICIPLE + that + clause- 🔹 It is believed that cats are smart.
- 🔹 It is known that he works hard.
- 🔹 It is expected that rain will fall.
Use: When focusing on the statement itself.
Structure B: The "Subject Shift"
Moves the Person to the front. The verb changes to an INFINITIVE.
Person + is + PARTICIPLE + TO + Infinitive- 🔸 Cats are believed to be smart.
- 🔸 He is known to work hard.
- 🔸 Rain is expected to fall.
Use: When focusing on the person involved.
The infinitive changes depending on when the action happened compared to the main verb.
The action happens now or later.
to + verbThe action happened before.
to + HAVE + participle10 Master Examples
Hover over sentences for translation. Click the icon to listen.
1. SAY
2. THINK
3. BELIEVE
4. KNOW
5. REPORT
6. CONSIDER
7. EXPECT
8. SUPPOSE
9. CLAIM
10. UNDERSTAND
DANGER!
Never forget the particle "TO" in the second structure.
CORRECT!
Always use the full infinitive.
Quick Challenge (10 Sentences)
Transform the following active sentences into Passive B (Person + is... + to...). Pay attention to the verb tenses!
1. Active: People say that she plays the piano well.
2. Active: They believe that the train left early.
3. Active: We expect that the flight will arrive late.
4. Active: Police believe that the suspect is hiding in the woods.
5. Active: They claim that he stole the money.
6. Active: People know that smoking causes cancer.
7. Active: Critics consider that the plan is risky.
8. Active: Journalists reported that the company lost millions.
9. Active: We understand that she has two jobs.
10. Active: People say that he was a great hero.
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