Advanced passive constructions

Article excerpt · target grammar marked

Margulis's hypothesis was initially met with scepticism, and it is often reported that academic resistance was compounded by institutional sexism. The chloroplasts that allow plants to photosynthesise are said to descend from free-living bacteria.

Grammar Reference · Advanced passive constructions

is said / believed to

Used to report general claims without naming a source. The discovery is said to be one of the most significant in decades.

is believed / thought

Refers to a belief about a past event. The species is believed to have appeared over 400 million years ago.

Impersonal it-passive

Formal construction that avoids naming an agent. It is widely accepted that cooperation plays a key role in evolution.

Common error

Do not use tell in these patterns. It is told that... ✗ — use said, reported, believed, claimed, thought only.

01Exercise 1 — Form · Write the Correct Form

Advanced passive constructions

1.The ancient fungi to have formed partnerships with plants over 400 million years ago.

2. widely accepted that cooperation is as fundamental to evolution as competition.

3.The coral reef ecosystem to be one of the most biodiverse on the planet.

4.The original bacteria to have been absorbed into larger cells rather than destroyed.

5. claimed that academic institutions were slow to accept Margulis's findings.

6.Soil networks in agricultural regions to have deteriorated significantly over the past fifty years.

02Exercise 2 — Transform

rewrite with the new structure

1.People generally believe that fungi play a critical role in forest health.

2.Scientists report that the microbiome affects both digestion and mental health.

3.Researchers claim that the 'selfish gene' model oversimplifies evolution.

4.Many people think that Darwin himself would have revised his original framework.

5.Experts say that symbiosis is the natural state of most living organisms.

6.People widely consider Suzanne Simard's research on tree networks groundbreaking.

03Exercise 3 — About You

in your notebook

Personalise: complete five sentences about yourself using the target grammar.

Advanced passive constructions01classplan.ai