Start with the person or thing being discussed
The construction The bridge is believed to be safe conveys an opinion about the bridge: “People believe that the bridge is safe.” The bridge becomes the subject, but it is not the one doing the believing. The source of the opinion may remain unnamed.
Compare It is believed that the bridge is safe and The bridge is believed to be safe. Both forms convey the same idea; the second is convenient when the bridge is already the topic of the conversation. A passive report does not make an assumption a proven fact: is believed does not equal is known.
person / thing + be + V3 reporting verb + to-infinitive
- verb / V —
- A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
- V3 / past participle —
- The third verb form: worked, gone, seen. Used after have/has or in the passive, for example; it is not always the same as V2.
- infinitive —
- The base verb form. With to: to work; without to: work. The pattern determines whether to is needed.
The guide is said to speak four languages.
People say that the guide speaks four languages.
We begin with the guide; the source of the words is not named.
It is believed that the bridge is safe. The bridge is believed to be safe.
People believe that the bridge is safe.
Two structures, one meaning; in the second, there is no repeated subject he/it after the reporting verb.
Two verb parts, two separate jobs
The first part — is/are/was/were + said, believed, thought, reported, known, or expected — shows the time of the report or opinion and agrees with the subject. The second part begins with to; its form depends on the event.
The base form is required after to: to be, to work, to have. Do not add -s because the subject is singular, and do not put was after to. The part is believed is already passive, but the infinitive can describe an active action performed by the subject.
The team is believed to work… / The teams are believed to work…
The researchers are known to work at night.
People know that the researchers work at night.
Are agrees with researchers; work does not change after to.
The room was thought to be empty.
At that time, people thought that the room was empty.
Was sets the past time of the opinion, while to be describes the state at that same time.
State, habit, and an expected event
The simple infinitive to be / to work often expresses a state or habitual action simultaneous with the opinion. In The cafe was said to be busy, both parts can refer to the past: do not automatically add have because of was.
An infinitive is not a separate “present tense.” After expected, it can point to the future: the expectation exists now, while the arrival happens later. Focus on the meaning, not only on the appearance of to + verb.
The cafe was said to serve good coffee.
People said that the cafe served good coffee.
A habitual action during the period when people said this.
The technician is expected to arrive soon.
People expect that the technician will arrive soon.
To arrive refers to an event after the present expectation; the simple infinitive is not limited to simultaneous events.
Process: do not lose be
When the report concerns an action in progress, use to be + -ing: is believed to be hiding. The two forms of be have different functions: is forms the passive report, while be forms the progressive infinitive.
After was reported, the form to be working shows a process in progress at the time of that past report. Without the appropriate context, do not replace it with to have worked: that expresses a different time relationship.
subject + is/was + V3 + to be + V-ing
- subject / S —
- The grammatical subject: who or what the clause is about; the verb agrees with it. In The book was written, the book is the subject, although someone else does the action.
- verb / V —
- A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
- V3 / past participle —
- The third verb form: worked, gone, seen. Used after have/has or in the passive, for example; it is not always the same as V2.
- V-ing / -ing —
- The verb form ending in -ing: working, going. Its role depends on the construction.
The missing walker is believed to be sheltering in a cabin.
People believe that the missing walker is currently sheltering from the weather in a cabin.
The process is continuing at the time of the present assumption.
At noon, the crew was reported to be repairing the road.
At noon, people reported that the crew was repairing the road.
The repair was in progress at noon; was does not require a perfect infinitive.
An earlier event: to have + V3
The perfect infinitive places an event before the time of the report: is believed to have left — people now believe that the departure has already happened; was believed to have left — at that time, people believed that the departure had already happened.
The reference point is the time of the report, not necessarily today. Keep the date of the report and the date of the event separate. In the perfect infinitive, have does not change to has, even when the subject is she or he.
subject + is/was + V3 + to have + V3
- subject / S —
- The grammatical subject: who or what the clause is about; the verb agrees with it. In The book was written, the book is the subject, although someone else does the action.
- V3 / past participle —
- The third verb form: worked, gone, seen. Used after have/has or in the passive, for example; it is not always the same as V2.
The guest is reported to have left before breakfast.
People report that the guest left before breakfast.
A present report about an earlier action: leave → have left.
On Friday, the guest was reported to have left on Thursday.
On Friday, people reported that the guest left on Thursday.
Friday is the time of the report; Thursday is the time of the departure. This is not a statement about where the guest is now.
When the thing itself was built or checked
The passive reporting verb and the passive infinitive are separate choices. The engineer is believed to have built the bridge means that the engineer built the bridge. The bridge is believed to have been built means that someone built the bridge.
For a passive event, use to be + V3; for an earlier passive event, use to have been + V3. Been cannot be omitted after have when the subject is the object of the action. To be + adjective, such as to be safe, is not passive by itself.
to be repaired / to have been repaired
The bridge is known to have been built in 1780.
People know that the bridge was built in 1780.
The bridge did not build itself: been preserves the passive role, while have expresses the earlier time.
The lift is expected to be repaired tomorrow.
People expect that the lift will be repaired tomorrow.
The repair is still in the future; to be repaired is passive but not a perfect infinitive.
Rephrase selectively and do not lose the source
The it-structure and the structure with a concrete subject are often interchangeable with say, believe, think, know, report, and expect. This is not a rule for every reporting verb. For example, It was suggested that we leave early cannot be changed according to this pattern into We were suggested to leave early.
In the ordinary sense of “report a fact,” tell does not replace say: The guest was told to leave means that the guest was ordered or instructed to leave, not that people reported the guest’s departure. Such grammatical sentences with a different meaning are not wrong in themselves.
In the structure It is believed (that)… the word that may be omitted. In an exercise with a fixed structure, follow the given beginning; in an open response, natural rephrasings are acceptable. If the source matters, preserve it, for example with according to the report.
It was suggested that we leave early.
It was suggested that we leave early.
We keep the it-clause: suggest does not belong to the usual subject + passive + to-infinitive pattern.
According to the local report, the library is believed to have lost several rare books.
According to the local report, people believe that the library lost several rare books.
We do not present an opinion as our own knowledge, and we do not erase the source.
Before sending, check the entire chain
Mentally identify three things: who or what is being reported on, when the report is made, and what is happening or has happened to that person or thing. Then check be in the reporting passive, to in the infinitive, have for an earlier event, and been for an earlier passive event.
In your own writing, use this construction where it helps maintain the topic and separate a report from a fact. You do not need to make every sentence passive. Imaginary events are equally suitable for practice; personal data is not needed.
The exhibition is reported to be attracting new visitors. It is also believed to have increased interest in local history.
People report that the exhibition is attracting new visitors. People also believe that it has increased interest in local history.
The first sentence describes a current process; the second describes an earlier effect. In both, we convey other people’s reports or opinions rather than claiming that we have checked these facts ourselves.
Common mistakes
Incorrect:The visitor is believed to waiting outside.
Correct:The visitor is believed to be waiting outside.
The progressive infinitive requires be between to and waiting.
Incorrect:The artist is said to has left.
Correct:The artist is said to have left.
The base form have, not has, comes after to.
Incorrect:The hall is known to have been build in 1900.
Correct:The hall is known to have been built in 1900.
V3 built is required after been in the passive infinitive.
Incorrect:The visitors is reported to be safe.
Correct:The visitors are reported to be safe.
The subject’s number controls are in the reporting passive.
Incorrect:The driver was believed to was tired.
Correct:The driver was believed to be tired.
The past time of the opinion is already expressed by was; be is required after to.