Grammar · C1
It is said that… / He is said to…
When you want to report a widely held view without saying whose view it is, English offers two passive patterns. It is said that the site was abandoned puts the clause after that. The site is said to have been abandoned lifts the subject to the front. Both are formal, and both let the writer stay out of it.
These structures answer a real need in careful writing: reporting something without vouching for it and without naming the source.
The first pattern begins with an empty it: it is said that, it is believed that, it is thought that, it is understood that. A full clause follows.
The second pattern promotes the subject: the minister is said to have known. Use a plain infinitive for something happening now, and a perfect infinitive for something that happened earlier.
The verbs used are a small set: say, believe, think, understand, expect, report, allege, claim, know. Choosing among them is how a writer signals how solid the information is.
Now use it
10 items from this page. Nothing is saved anywhere but your own browser.
Item 1 of 10
It is believed more than two hundred people were affected.