Mastering Passive Voice and Reporting Verbs in English Grammar

Understanding Passive Voice and Reporting Verbs

1. Passive Voice with Modal Verbs

• Passive with Modal Verbs (Present):

  Subject + modal + be + past participle

  Example: This jacket should be worn in cold weather.

• Passive with Modal Verbs (Past):

  Subject + modal + have + been + past participle

  Example: My phone must have been stolen. (used to express a past situation)

2. Passive Voice with Infinitive or Verb + -ing

• Passive Infinitive:

  Subject + verb + to be + past participle

  Example: She hopes to be chosen for the school concert.

• Passive Verb + -ing (Gerund):

  Subject + verb + being + past participle

  Example: I hate being told what to eat.

3. Passive Voice with Reporting Verbs (General Beliefs)

• Passive with Reporting Verbs (to talk about general beliefs):

  Example: Too much sugar is said to be bad for us.

• Passive with "there is" / "there are":

  Example: There is understood to be high levels of air pollution.

4. Other Verbs of General Belief

Common verbs include: know, rumor, believe, estimate, report, show, demonstrate.

Example: Some trees are known to live for hundreds of years.

5. Common Forms of Passive with Reporting Verbs

• Form 1: "It + passive + that"

  Example: It is believed that we need to drink three liters of water a day.

• Form 2: Subject + passive + present/perfect infinitive

  Example: Eating too much sugar is known to cause obesity. (used for beliefs about the present, past, or present beliefs about past events)

Understanding Reporting Verbs

Reporting verbs are used to report what someone has said or thought.

1. Reporting Verbs with TO + INFINITIVE

• Promise
• Offer
• Refuse
• Agree
• Threaten

2. Reporting Verbs with OBJECT + TO + INFINITIVE

• Ask
• Invite
• Order
• Remind
• Tell
• Warn
• Persuade
• Encourage
• Advise

3. Reporting Verbs with -ING (Gerund)

• Admit
• Deny
• Recommend
• Suggest
• Propose

4. Reporting Verbs with PREPOSITION + -ING

• Apologize for
• Complain about
• Insist on
• Confess to

5. Reporting Verbs with OBJECT + PREPOSITION + -ING

• Blame somebody for
• Congratulate somebody on
• Warn somebody about/against
• Accuse somebody of

6. Reporting Verbs with THAT + SHOULD CLAUSE

• Advise
• Recommend
• Request
• Suggest