Welcome back to our grammar hangout! Today, we are learning a very cool trick used by news reporters, gossiping neighbors, and internet sleuths: The “People Say” Passive.
(🤫 The “Gossip” Passive Voice)
Usually, when we use the passive voice, we are talking about physical actions like “The cake was eaten” or “The car was fixed.” But what happens when the action is just a thought, a rumor, or an opinion inside people’s heads?
We use verbs like say, believe, suppose, think, or report in a special passive way when we want to share a rumor or general knowledge without naming the exact person who started the gossip!
🌎 1. The Two Secret Methods (The Blueprint)
When you want to share a general rumor or belief, English gives you two different “camera angles” (formulas) to build your sentence. Let’s look at them using simple blocks:
This is the easiest formula. You start the sentence with an empty block, “It is…”, and then state the rumor.
Examples: “It is said that…” / “It is believed that…”
This formula is slightly more advanced but sounds super natural. You put the person or thing the rumor is about right at the front of the sentence.
Examples: “He is said to live…” / “She is believed to be…”
📸 2. Creative Examples (From Gossip to News Reports)
Let’s see how these two patterns look in real life when we shift from active to passive focus:
- Active (What everyone thinks): “People believe that the pirate ghost guards the gold.”
- Pattern 1 (It-Starter): “It is believed that the pirate ghost guards the gold.” (Focus is on the whole story).
- Pattern 2 (Subject-Starter): “The pirate ghost is believed to guard the gold.” (Our camera zooms directly in on the ghost!).
- Active (What the neighbors say): “Local people say that Mr. Smith won a million dollars.”
- Pattern 1 (It-Starter): “It is said that Mr. Smith won a million dollars.”
- Pattern 2 (Subject-Starter): “Mr. Smith is said to have won a million dollars.” (We use “have won” because it already happened in the past!).
📊 3. The “Rumor Mill” Comparison Table
Here is a quick cheat sheet showing how our favorite gossip words transform into passive sentences:
| The Gossip Verb 🗣️ | Pattern 1: The “It” Block 🤖 | Pattern 2: The Subject Block 🏃♂️ | What it Actually Means 🤔 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Say | “It is said that she is a genius.” | “She is said to be a genius.” | “Everyone says she is smart, but I don’t know who started the rumor.” |
| Believe | “It is believed that the keys are lost.” | “The keys are believed to be lost.” | “Most people think the keys are gone, but we aren’t 100% sure yet.” |
| Suppose | “It is supposed that he lives in London.” | “He is supposed to live in London.” | “According to the rumors or schedule, his home is in London.” |
| Report | “It was reported that the alien landed.” | “The alien was reported to have landed.” | “The news or a witness group shared this wild story yesterday.” |
🕵️♂️ 4. A Creative Story: The Mysterious Billionaire Neighbor
Let’s see how two curious neighbors, Leo and Sam, use these verbs naturally while peeking through their window at the giant, spooky mansion next door.
Leo: “Sam, look over there! A massive golden sports car just pulled into the driveway of the new neighbor’s house.”
Sam: “Oh, wow! You know, it is said that the new owner is an eccentric billionaire who invented a famous smartphone app.” (Pattern 1 → It is said that)
Leo: “Really? Well, my coworker told me a different story. He is supposed to be an undercover secret agent hiding from international villains!” (Pattern 2 → He is supposed to be)
Sam: “Haha! An agent? Come on. Look at the roof of the house. It was reported that he built a giant helicopter pad up there last Tuesday.” (Pattern 1 Past → It was reported that)
Leo: “Whoa, look! A tiger just walked across his backyard! I am not joking!”
Sam: “Oh my goodness! That tiger is believed to have been brought here from a private safari park in Africa. The rumors are true!” (Pattern 2 Complex Past → is believed to have been brought)
Leo: “Well, whatever the true story is, he is certainly said to have the most interesting house in our entire neighborhood!” (Pattern 2 → is said to have).