The key idea
Choose reporting passives, passive infinitives and impersonal structures when the facts matter more than the person reporting them.
What is it for?
Write reports and formal texts that focus on facts, results and decisions rather than personal opinions or the people responsible.
What you need to know
- Use It is believed that... to present a view without naming its source immediately.
- Use subject + is believed to... to connect a person or thing with a reported claim.
- Use passive infinitives and modal verbs to express duties, expectations and unfinished decisions.
- Choose be-passives for neutral formal writing and get-passives for less formal situations.
- Use have something done when another person performs a service for you.
- Name the agent with by when responsibility or the source matters.
1. Report claims without naming the speaker first
Reporting passives present information without focusing on its source.
Use It is said, believed, reported or expected that + clause.
You can also begin with a person or thing.
Use subject + is said, believed or reported + to-infinitive.
For an earlier action, use to have + past participle.
- It is believed that... presents a claim in a neutral way.
- She is reported to work here describes a present situation.
- She is reported to have left describes an earlier action.
- Use these forms when the source is unknown or less important.
It is believed that the new schedule saves time.
The sentence reports a general belief without naming anyone.
The manager is reported to have approved the new budget.
The approval happened before the report.
The new shop is expected to open in June.
This reports an expectation, not a confirmed event.
2. Show duties, expectations and unfinished actions
Passive forms work well when duties or results matter most.
Use modal + be + past participle for rules or advice.
Use modal + have been + past participle for earlier actions.
Use has or have yet to be + past participle for unfinished decisions.
- Must be checked expresses a strong requirement.
- Should be reviewed gives advice about an action.
- Must have been delivered expresses a strong belief about a past action.
- Should have been checked suggests a past action was advisable.
- Has yet to be decided means the decision remains unfinished.
All receipts must be checked before payment.
The focus is on the required action.
The missing parcel must have been sent elsewhere.
The writer makes a strong guess about the past.
The final delivery date has yet to be confirmed.
The confirmation has not happened.
3. Choose between be, get and have something done
Be-passives suit formal reports and neutral descriptions.
Get-passives often sound more conversational and can show an unexpected event.
Have something done means you arrange for another person to do a task.
Choose the form that matches your purpose and the reader.
- The computer was repaired is neutral and formal.
- The computer got damaged sounds less formal and often suggests an event.
- I had the computer repaired means a technician repaired it for me.
- Do not use get-passives automatically in formal reports.
The office computers were replaced in September.
The be-passive suits a formal report.
Several files got deleted during the update.
The get-passive sounds less formal and stresses the event.
The company had the heating system checked.
The company arranged for someone else to check it.
4. Decide when to name the agent
The agent is the person or group that performs an action.
Use by + agent when the source or responsibility matters.
Leave the agent out when it is unknown or unimportant.
Keep the active voice when it makes responsibility clearer.
- The report was written by the finance team names the source.
- The report was completed yesterday focuses on the result.
- The finance team completed the report makes responsibility clear.
- Avoid passive forms when they hide an important decision-maker.
The new policy was approved by the director.
The director's role matters, so the agent is included.
The office was cleaned before the inspection.
The cleaner's identity does not matter here.
The supervisor rejected the request.
The active voice clearly identifies who made the decision.
5. Turn a news-style paragraph into an objective report
A report can begin with a result or a reported finding.
It can then explain what happened and what needs attention.
Passive forms help reduce personal focus, but facts must stay clear.
Keep the same facts when changing an active sentence into a passive one.
- Start with the main finding or result.
- Add evidence, dates or figures that support the finding.
- Use reporting passives when the source is less important.
- Finish with a clear action, recommendation or unresolved issue.
- Check that the new sentence keeps the original meaning.
Staff reported delays in the morning deliveries.
This active sentence names the people who reported the problem.
Delays were reported in the morning deliveries.
The passive version focuses on the reported problem.
The cause has yet to be identified.
This ending states what remains unresolved.
How to do it, step by step
- Identify the main result, claim or problem.
- Decide whether the person doing the action matters.
- Choose a reporting passive, modal passive or impersonal structure.
- Add the time, reason or evidence needed to understand the claim.
- Check that the wording stays accurate and suitably formal.
Formulas and key language
| Use it for | Example | Another example |
|---|---|---|
| It is + past participle + that + clause | It is reported that sales have increased. | It is expected that costs will fall. |
| Subject + is/are + past participle + to-infinitive | The team is believed to work efficiently. | The building is expected to reopen soon. |
| Subject + is/are + past participle + to have + past participle | The manager is reported to have resigned. | The payment is believed to have arrived. |
| Modal + be + past participle | All forms should be checked carefully. | The final figures must be approved. |
| Modal + have been + past participle | The order should have been sent yesterday. | The mistake must have been noticed earlier. |
| Has/have yet to be + past participle | The final price has yet to be agreed. | Two applications have yet to be reviewed. |
| Get + past participle | Several documents got lost during the move. | The printer got damaged last week. |
| Have + object + past participle | We had the office windows cleaned. | They had the broken door repaired. |
| Passive verb + by + agent | The schedule was prepared by the supervisor. | The error was discovered by a technician. |
UK / US: British and American English use these passive forms in similar ways. Some words, such as organise and organize, have different spellings.
Level up: Replace basic words (good, very, nice) with stronger ones. See our A2 to C1 upgrades page.
Model text
Monthly Delivery Review
Main finding
It was reported that late deliveries increased during September. Records show that 18 orders arrived after their planned dates, compared with seven in August. The figures suggest that the problem requires further attention.
The opening uses a reporting passive. The next sentences provide figures and a cautious conclusion.
Evidence and explanation
Several delays were linked to incorrect addresses, while others were caused by limited staff availability. The address records were checked by the customer service team, and 12 errors were identified. The remaining cases have yet to be explained. Managers are believed to have discussed the issue at last week's meeting, although no formal decision has been recorded.
These sentences report findings and name the agent when useful. The wording separates known facts from an unconfirmed report.
Required action
All delivery addresses should be verified before orders leave the warehouse. The checking process must also be reviewed, and extra staff may need to be assigned during busy periods. A revised procedure is expected to be introduced next month. Its effectiveness should be measured after four weeks, using delivery records and customer feedback.
Modal passives state duties and possible action. The final sentences give a clear next step and a way to measure results.
Common mistakes
✗ It is believed the shop to be profitable.
✓ It is believed that the shop is profitable.
Use that + clause after It is believed in this sentence pattern.
✗ The manager is reported to resigned.
✓ The manager is reported to have resigned.
Use to have + past participle for a reported earlier action.
✗ The forms should checked today.
✓ The forms should be checked today.
A passive form after should needs be before the past participle.
✗ The parcel must have been send yesterday.
✓ The parcel must have been sent yesterday.
Use the past participle sent, not the base form send.
✗ We had repaired the printer yesterday.
✓ We had the printer repaired yesterday.
Use have + object + past participle when someone does a task for you.
✗ The report was prepared from the finance team.
✓ The report was prepared by the finance team.
Use by to name the person or group that performed the action.
Plan it, then check it
Plan
- Write the main finding in one sentence.
- List the facts, dates and figures that support it.
- Choose passive forms where the action matters more than the agent.
- Add any required action and explain how results will be checked.
Check
- Does each passive sentence use the correct verb form?
- Have I used reporting structures only for claims or reports?
- Have I named the agent when responsibility matters?
- Have I kept facts separate from guesses and expectations?
- Does the report explain what happens next?
Practice
Choose the best passive structure
Choose the option that best completes each sentence.
1.___ that the new system reduces waiting times.
Use It is believed that to report a general view without naming its source.
2.The director is reported ___ the new budget last week.
Use to have approved because the approval happened before the report.
3.All expense claims ___ before payment.
A passive form after should uses be and a past participle.
4.The final delivery date ___ confirmed.
Has yet to be confirmed means the confirmation has not happened.
5.We ___ the office windows cleaned last Friday.
Have + object + past participle shows that someone did the task for us.
6.The final figures were checked ___ the accounts team.
Use by to identify the people who performed the action.
Complete the passive form
Write the correct passive form in the gap.
1.All customer records must (protect) carefully.
After must, use be and the past participle for a passive duty.
2.The final decision has yet to (make).
Has yet to be made shows that the decision remains unfinished.
3.The missing payment is believed to (send) yesterday.
Use to have been sent for a reported earlier action.
4.The office should (inspect) before the meeting.
Should be inspected gives advice about an action.
5.The old printer got (damage) during the move.
Get + past participle describes an event in a less formal style.
6.We had the broken door (repair) yesterday.
Have + object + past participle shows an arranged service.
Build passive sentences
Put the words in the correct order. Add the final punctuation.
1.Put the words in order:
receiptscheckedbecarefullymustall
The modal must comes before be and the past participle.
2.Put the words in order:
havemanagerresignedbelievedtotheis
Use is believed to have + past participle for a reported earlier action.
3.Put the words in order:
hasthebetopriceagreedyet
Has yet to be agreed shows that agreement has not happened.
4.Put the words in order:
supervisorpreparedwasthescheduletheby
The by-phrase names the person who prepared the schedule.
5.Put the words in order:
hadservicedthewecomputer
Have + object + past participle describes a service arranged by the subject.
Correct one small mistake
Change only the incorrect word or words in each sentence.
1.It is believed that the shop be profitable.
Use is to describe the shop's present situation.
2.The manager is reported to have resign yesterday.
Use the past participle resigned after to have.
3.All forms should checked before payment.
The passive form after should needs be.
4.The parcel must have been send yesterday.
Sent is the past participle needed in this passive form.
5.We had the printer repair yesterday.
Use the past participle repaired after the object.
6.The report was prepared from the accounts team.
Use by to identify the people who prepared the report.
Now write
Your task
Rewrite the six active sentences below in a more objective, passive style. Keep the original facts and meaning. You may use reporting passives when the sentence reports a claim. Active sentence 1: The staff reported delays in the morning deliveries. Active sentence 2: The accounts team checked all payment records. Active sentence 3: The manager must approve every large order. Active sentence 4: The company has not decided the final delivery date. Active sentence 5: A technician repaired the office printer yesterday. Active sentence 6: The director is expected to announce the new schedule next week. Write six rewritten sentences. Use by only when the agent matters.
Word bank
it is reported thatis believed to havemust be approvedshould be reviewedhas yet to be decidedwas checked bywas repairedis expected topast participleresponsibilitydelivery recordspayment recordsformal reportfinal decisionnext week
Sentence starters
- It was reported that...
- All payment records...
- Every large order...
- The final delivery date...
- The office printer...
- The new schedule...