Impersonal passive structures are a high-value part of English sentence structure because they let writers report information without naming a source directly. In practical terms, patterns such as “It is believed that,” “It is expected that,” and “He is said to” help you sound formal, cautious, and concise. I teach these forms regularly, and they appear everywhere: academic articles, news reports, business updates, legal summaries, and exam writing tasks. If you want to understand sentence structure at an advanced level, mastering impersonal passive structures is essential because they connect grammar, tone, information focus, and reporting accuracy.
Two core patterns define this area. The first is the introductory “it” pattern: “It is believed that the policy will change.” The second is the subject-focused pattern: “The policy is believed to change” or, more naturally, “The minister is believed to support the change.” Both forms usually come from an active reporting sentence such as “People believe that the minister supports the change.” The passive removes or backgrounds the vague subject “people,” “experts,” “officials,” or “they.” That shift matters because English sentence structure is not only about correctness; it is about deciding what information should stand first, what should be emphasized, and how certain or distant a statement should sound.
This topic matters beyond one grammar point because it sits at the center of sentence structure as a whole. To use impersonal passives well, learners must control clause patterns, infinitives, tense relationships, agreement, and register. They also need to recognize when passive reporting is appropriate and when a direct active sentence is clearer. As a hub page for sentence structure, this article maps the system comprehensively: how the forms are built, when each pattern is preferred, how tense backshifting works, which reporting verbs are common, what mistakes learners make, and how these structures connect to broader grammar choices you will use across speaking and writing.
What impersonal passive structures are and how they are formed
An impersonal passive structure is a passive reporting construction used when the source of a claim is unknown, unimportant, obvious, or intentionally omitted. The classic formula is: it + be + past participle + that-clause. Examples include “It is thought that sales will rise,” “It was reported that several roads were closed,” and “It has been suggested that the rule needs revision.” The second major formula is: subject + be + past participle + to-infinitive. Examples include “Sales are expected to rise,” “Several roads were reported to be closed,” and “The rule has been suggested to need revision,” though that last example is awkward and less common. Not every reporting verb works equally well in both patterns, so natural usage matters as much as grammatical possibility.
In real editing work, I tell learners to identify the active source sentence first. Start with “People say that he is rich.” From there, you can create “It is said that he is rich” or “He is said to be rich.” Start with “Experts believe that the drug reduces risk.” That becomes “It is believed that the drug reduces risk” or “The drug is believed to reduce risk.” This transformation shows the grammar clearly. The content does not change, but the focus does. The “it” structure emphasizes the statement as information. The subject-focused structure emphasizes the person, thing, or idea being described.
Because this article anchors sentence structure, it helps to see where these forms fit in the wider system. Sentence structure covers word order, clause types, coordination, subordination, active and passive voice, and information packaging. Impersonal passives sit at the intersection of all five. They use a dummy subject, a finite passive verb phrase, and either a content clause or an infinitival clause. They also often coexist with other advanced structures, including relative clauses, modal verbs, and hedging adverbs such as “widely,” “generally,” or “incorrectly.” Once you can parse those layers, longer formal sentences become much easier to read and produce.
When to use “It is believed that” and when to use “He is said to”
The difference between the two headline patterns is mainly one of focus, rhythm, and style. Use “It is believed that” when the entire proposition is the main message: “It is believed that early intervention improves outcomes.” This is common in academic and analytical prose because the claim itself matters more than any single noun phrase inside it. Use “He is said to,” “The company is expected to,” or “The bridge is thought to” when you want the sentence to begin with the key subject. Journalists do this constantly because readers track the subject more easily: “The actor is said to be negotiating a new contract.”
There is also a practical clarity rule. If the that-clause is long, the subject-focused infinitive version is often smoother. Compare “It is expected that the regional transport authority will announce a revised fare structure next month” with “The regional transport authority is expected to announce a revised fare structure next month.” The second sentence is shorter, more direct, and easier to process. However, not every sentence should be converted mechanically. “It is alleged that” often appears in legal reporting because the claim itself must be distanced carefully; “He is alleged to have committed fraud” is also common, but the choice depends on emphasis and legal sensitivity.
The most common reporting verbs in these structures include say, believe, think, expect, report, know, consider, understand, estimate, claim, and suppose. Some verbs are especially frequent in specific contexts. News reports favor “is reported to,” “is expected to,” and “is believed to.” Academic prose often uses “it is widely accepted that,” “it is generally believed that,” and “is considered to be.” Formal business English uses “is expected to deliver,” “is projected to reach,” and “it is anticipated that.” Knowing the typical collocations makes your sentence structure sound native rather than translated.
| Active reporting sentence | It-structure | Subject-focused passive |
|---|---|---|
| People say that the CEO will resign. | It is said that the CEO will resign. | The CEO is said to resign. |
| Experts believe that the treatment works. | It is believed that the treatment works. | The treatment is believed to work. |
| They reported that the files were missing. | It was reported that the files were missing. | The files were reported to be missing. |
| Analysts expect that profits will grow. | It is expected that profits will grow. | Profits are expected to grow. |
| Many know that she is honest. | It is known that she is honest. | She is known to be honest. |
One important nuance appears in the first row of the table. “The CEO is said to resign” is grammatical in form but unnatural in meaning for a future plan. Native usage strongly prefers “The CEO is said to be planning to resign” or simply “The CEO is expected to resign.” This is why sentence structure cannot be learned through formulas alone. Grammar gives you the frame; collocation and meaning determine whether the result is idiomatic.
Tense, aspect, and meaning in reporting passives
The most difficult part of impersonal passive structures is usually the infinitive pattern after the past participle. The infinitive shows time relative to the reporting verb. Use the simple infinitive for the same time or a future interpretation: “She is believed to live abroad” and “The team is expected to win.” Use the continuous infinitive for an action in progress: “He is said to be working on a memoir.” Use the perfect infinitive for an earlier action: “The funds are believed to have been transferred last week.” Use the perfect continuous infinitive for duration before the reporting time: “The company is thought to have been overcharging customers for years.”
This system lets English compress a great deal of information into one sentence. Consider the active version: “People think that the company has been overcharging customers for years.” The passive version, “The company is thought to have been overcharging customers for years,” is more compact and more formal. In financial journalism and compliance writing, that efficiency is useful because it preserves caution while foregrounding the entity under discussion. In exam writing, especially advanced proficiency tests, accurate use of these tense relationships signals strong grammatical control.
Aspect also affects meaning. “He is known to work late” describes a regular pattern. “He is known to be working late” describes a current temporary situation. “He is known to have worked late” points to a completed earlier event. Similar distinctions apply with stative verbs. “She is believed to own the property” is normal because ownership is a state. “She is believed to be owning the property” is not standard because “own” rarely takes progressive aspect. These contrasts show why sentence structure and verb semantics must be learned together.
Negation and modality add further precision. You can say “It is not believed that the fire was accidental” or “The fire is not believed to have been accidental.” You can also combine modal verbs with reporting language in active-source paraphrases, but the passive itself usually carries the cautious force without extra modal marking. In professional writing, that restraint is useful. Overloading a sentence with both passive reporting and multiple modals can make it evasive instead of measured.
Common mistakes, style choices, and links to broader sentence structure
The most common learner error is choosing the wrong infinitive form. “He is said that he is rich” is incorrect because the subject-focused pattern requires an infinitive, not a that-clause. The correct options are “It is said that he is rich” and “He is said to be rich.” Another frequent mistake is using an infinitive after a reporting verb that does not sound natural in that context. For example, “The plan is suggested to reduce costs” is awkward; “It is suggested that the plan will reduce costs” or “The plan is intended to reduce costs” is better, depending on meaning.
Another issue is overuse. These structures are powerful, but too many in one paragraph create distance and monotony. A report full of “it is believed,” “it is thought,” and “it is expected” may sound vague unless the surrounding context provides evidence, attribution, or data. Strong sentence structure balances passive reporting with direct statements. For example, after writing “It is believed that housing demand will remain strong,” add the reason: “Mortgage approvals rose 8 percent in the latest Bank of England release.” Passive structure should frame uncertain information, not replace support.
This grammar point also connects directly to the wider sentence structure hub. If you are building mastery in this area, study active versus passive voice, dummy subjects, that-clauses, infinitive clauses, subject-verb agreement, and information order. Then extend to complex sentences with relative clauses: “The minister, who is said to be considering a cabinet reshuffle, will speak tomorrow.” Also review reduced clauses and reporting verbs in academic style. These linked topics reinforce each other because advanced English relies on combining structures cleanly rather than producing isolated model sentences.
The key benefit of mastering impersonal passive structures is control. You can report claims carefully, sound more formal when needed, and shape information so the most important element appears first. Remember the two core patterns: “It is believed that” for proposition focus and “He is said to” for subject focus. Choose the infinitive form according to time and aspect, and prefer natural collocations over mechanical conversion. As you improve your sentence structure, use these forms deliberately in essays, reports, and professional communication. Review your own writing today and rewrite two active reporting sentences in both passive patterns to make the grammar automatic.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are impersonal passive structures, and why are they important in English?
Impersonal passive structures are sentence patterns used to report information without clearly identifying the person or group making the claim. Common examples include It is believed that, It is expected that, It is known that, and He is said to. These structures are especially useful when the source is unknown, obvious, unimportant, or intentionally omitted. Instead of saying People believe that the economy will recover, a writer can say It is believed that the economy will recover. This shifts the focus away from the source and onto the information itself.
They matter because they are widely used in formal and semi-formal English. You will see them in academic writing, journalism, business communication, legal summaries, official statements, and exam responses. They help writers sound objective, careful, and professional. In many cases, they also make a sentence more concise and more natural in formal contexts. For learners, mastering these patterns is valuable because they improve both grammatical range and stylistic control. If you want your English to sound more advanced, especially in writing, impersonal passive structures are essential.
What is the difference between “It is believed that” and “He is said to”?
Both patterns express reported information in a formal, indirect way, but they are built differently and used for different sentence focuses. It is believed that uses an introductory it and is followed by a full clause: It is believed that the company will expand next year. This structure is useful when the real subject of the sentence is a fact, situation, or event. It allows the writer to present an idea without naming who believes it.
He is said to, by contrast, uses a personal subject followed by a passive reporting verb and an infinitive: He is said to live abroad or The company is expected to announce changes soon. This structure is often called the personal passive because the subject is a specific person, organization, or thing. It is especially efficient when the sentence is about that subject and you want to avoid a longer clause. For example, People say that the actor lives in Paris becomes The actor is said to live in Paris.
In short, the main difference is sentence structure and emphasis. Use It is believed that when you want to introduce a reported idea or situation. Use He is said to when you want the reported subject to appear at the beginning of the sentence. Both are correct, natural, and common, but they are not always interchangeable in style or rhythm.
How do you form impersonal passive structures correctly?
There are two core patterns to learn. The first is: It + be + past participle + that-clause. Examples include It is thought that, It was reported that, and It has been suggested that. In this pattern, the verb be changes according to tense, and the reporting verb appears in the past participle. After that, you add a full clause. For example: It is expected that sales will increase or It was believed that the plan would succeed.
The second main pattern is: subject + be + past participle + to-infinitive. Examples include She is believed to know the answer, The minister was reported to have resigned, and The building is expected to be completed next year. The infinitive form depends on time and meaning. Use the simple infinitive for simultaneous or general actions, as in He is said to work hard. Use the continuous infinitive for actions in progress, as in She is believed to be living in Berlin. Use the perfect infinitive for earlier actions, as in They are believed to have left already. Use the passive infinitive when the subject receives the action, as in The documents are expected to be released tomorrow.
The most common reporting verbs in these patterns include say, believe, think, expect, know, report, consider, understand, and allege. Accuracy depends on choosing the right tense and infinitive form. Once learners understand the patterns, they become much easier to use confidently in both writing and speaking.
When should I use impersonal passive structures instead of active reporting?
You should use impersonal passive structures when you want to sound formal, neutral, or cautious, especially if the source of information is not central to your message. In many professional and academic contexts, naming the source directly is unnecessary or even stylistically awkward. For example, Experts think the policy will fail is perfectly correct, but It is thought that the policy will fail sounds more formal and detached. That tone is often preferred in reports, articles, essays, and official summaries.
These structures are also useful when the source is unknown, vague, collective, or intentionally unspecified. News reporting often uses them because journalists may not want to identify a source in the sentence itself: The suspect is believed to have crossed the border. Academic writing uses them to avoid over-personalization and to keep focus on claims or findings: It is widely accepted that climate patterns are changing. Business and legal English use them for similar reasons, especially when precision and caution matter.
That said, active reporting is often better when the source is important or when you want a more direct style. If the identity of the speaker matters, say so clearly: The CEO announced that the company will restructure is stronger than It was announced that the company will restructure if the CEO’s role is relevant. The key decision is not just grammatical but stylistic. Use the impersonal passive when the information matters more than the source, and use active reporting when the source deserves attention.
What are the most common mistakes learners make with these structures?
One common mistake is mixing up the two main patterns. Learners sometimes produce incorrect combinations such as He is said that he is rich or It is believed him to be honest. These are not standard forms. The correct versions are He is said to be rich and It is believed that he is honest. Remember that the it structure needs a that-clause, while the personal passive structure needs a subject followed by a to-infinitive.
Another frequent problem involves time reference. Learners often use the simple infinitive when the perfect infinitive is needed. For example, He is said to steal the money is usually wrong if the theft happened before the reporting. The better sentence is He is said to have stolen the money. Similarly, if the action is in progress, the continuous infinitive may be more accurate: She is believed to be working on a new project. Choosing the right infinitive form is one of the main signs of advanced control.
A third issue is overusing these structures in informal communication. They are natural and useful, but in everyday conversation they can sound overly formal or distant if used too often. Compare People say he’s moving with He is said to be moving; both are correct, but the first is more conversational. Learners should aim for flexibility, not mechanical use. Finally, some students forget subject-verb agreement or misuse the passive participle form, especially with less common verbs. The best way to improve is to study real examples, notice patterns across formal texts, and practice transforming active reporting sentences into impersonal passive ones until the structure becomes automatic.
