Advanced Passives & Hedging

Article excerpt · target grammar marked

What is particularly striking is how predictably the spin fails. Spin, it turns out, is not designed to fool anyone; it is designed to give everyone plausible deniability.

Grammar Reference · Advanced Passives & Hedging

Impersonal passive

Used to distance the speaker from a claim. It is believed that the vote was rigged. Formal and cautious.

Passive + perfect

Reports a past event as a present claim. The result is reported to have been altered. Careful attribution.

Modal hedging

Softens a claim without withdrawing it. This may have been exaggerated. Essential in academic and political prose.

Common error

Never use an object after impersonal passive. It is believed him that... ✗ → It is believed that he... ✓

01Exercise 1 — Form · Write the Correct Form

Advanced Passives & Hedging

1.Many experts believe that the election result was predetermined.

2.The spin doctor to have written the speech the night before.

3.Officials claim that the data independently verified before publication.

4.The gaffe planned in advance by the campaign team.

5.It argued that voters make their decisions weeks before the debate.

6.The policy announcement poorly received across most of South America.

02Exercise 2 — Transform

rewrite with the new structure

1.People say the press conference was staged.

2.Researchers claim that identity drives voting behaviour.

3.Historians believe the speech changed the outcome.

4.Critics argue that the policy was reversed too quickly.

5.Insiders report that the candidate knew about the leak.

6.Observers suggest the results were not a surprise.

7.Many people think the debate was the turning point.

8.Officials acknowledge that mistakes were made.

03Exercise 3 — About You

in your notebook

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

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