Passive voice - 22.05 - Advanced

Passive voice with reporting verbs

Distancing expressions are often used in journalism when a speaker wants to stress that the information is second-hand and comes from a specific source or sources, rather than being their own knowledge or opinion, or they are not sure of the sources.

Passive voice with reporting verbs

How to show distance from the information:

1. SEEM / APPEAR

Seem and appear are used to give information without stating that we definitely know it is true, this way we can distance ourselves from that information.

Appear is slightly more formal than seem. - it seems / appears that + clause

Passive voice with reporting verbs

It seems that the environment will have improved by the end of this pandemic. - subject + seem / appear + to infinitive

The new minister appears to be very concerned about the climate. Politicians seem to be working on the effects of climate change.

Peter seems to have learned from all his bad experiences

Passive voice with reporting verbs

- there + seem + to infinitive

There seems to be a great acceptance among members. (singular)

There seem to have been two options to solve the crisis. (plural)

Passive voice with reporting verbs

If we want to distance ourselves even further from the information and make it sound even less sure, the expression It would seem/ appear that can be used.

It is more formal than it seems / appears. - It would seem / appear that + clause It would seem/ appear that the situation is finally under control.

Passive voice with reporting verbs

It is especially used in formal written English. Saying and reporting verbs are used in the passive: say, think, believe….

- It + passive verb + that + clause It is believed that the government will decrease the tax by the end of the year.

Some verbs: agree, announce, believe, expect, hope, say, suggest, think

Passive voice with reporting verbs

- Subject + passive verb + to + infinitive

The government is believed to decrease the tax by the end of next year. Some verbs: believe, expect, report, say, think, understand…. - There + passive verb + to + infinitive

There are said to be new proposals for the project ( plural )

There is believed to be a new donor for the organization ( singular)

Passive voice with reporting verbs

- Apparently, (por lo visto)

It can be written at the beginning or end of the sentence. It means that we have read or heard but it may not be true. It is used in informal conversation.

Apparently, the new president of the company is going to visit the new headquarters by the end of the month.

Passive voice with reporting verbs

- According to……., + clause It specifies where the information comes from and it attributes opinions to someone else.

According to a recent research, the probability of suffering heart attacks is increasing in the British population.

- May / might They suggest that something is a possibility but not necessarily true.

They may / might be spending their holidays together