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Reporting

• With verbs such as believe, know, say, think, which report people's opinions, a passive construction is often used to avoid a weak subject, and to give a generalised opinion. With present reference, the passive is followed by the present infinitive.

The criminal is thought to be in hiding in the London area.

• With past reference, the passive is followed by the past infinitive.

Smith is believed to have left England last week.

• If the reporting verb is in the past, the past infinitive tends to follow, though not always if the verb be is used.

People thought Sue had paid too much.

Sue was thought to have paid too much.

The police thought that the thief was still in the house.

The thief was thought to still be in the house.

• In the case of past reference with two objects there are two ways of making a passive sentence.

Everyone knows the portrait was painted by an Italian.

The portrait is known to have been painted by an Italian.

• Continuous infinitive

Past and present continuous infinitives are also used.

Mary is thought to be living in Scotland.

The driver is thought to have been doing a U-turn.

• Passive can follow a modal verb.

Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

They ought to be treated fairly.

• Infinitive in the passive voice has two forms.

They seemedto have disappeared.

• Gerund and participle have two passive forms.

Aren’t you afraid of being seen as a righteous crusader?

Having been declared insane, he was confined to four months in a prison hospital.

• With some transitive verbs we can change the subject of a sentence without using the passive.

We don't mention or even imply an agent. Verbs that allow us to change the subject to 'the thing affected by the action' without using the passive are called 'ergative' verbs. By changing the subject of the sentence in this way, the active transitive verb becomes intransitive:

The dog opened the door. ( active)

The door was opened by the dog. (passive)

The door opened. (ergative - as if the door opened by itself)

• Ergative verbs express ‘movement’ (move, turn, move, spin), ‘change’ (change, thicken, burn,

break, improve, dry, open, close, crease, wash out), ‘cooking process’ (cook, boil, simmer), ‘beginning. continuation, end’ (begin, finish, continue), as well as a number of other verbs (sell, photograph, unfold, etc.)

This model photographs well!

This type of fabric creases easily.

The pig roasted so slowly!

The car stopped and the door opened.