impersonalpassive-1 difference between passive and impersonal passive

To practice the difference between passive voice and impersonal passive

1. IMPERSONAL PASSIVE
SENTENCES

THAT CLAUSE

TO INFINITIVE CLAUSE
I heard that…

2. Reporting using passive voice

Sometimes we have to report events, opinions or
comments that we don’t assume as our own.

So we introduce those statements with:
People say that…
Everybody knows that…
They believed that…
Another common way is to use the passive voice…
It is said that…
It is known that…
It was believed that…

3. Impersonal passives
it + passive verb ( be+ past participle)+ that clause:
Everyone says that the PM is about to resign.
It is said that the prime minister is about to resign.
They have admitted that lack of funding is the real problem.
It has been admitted that lack of funding is the real
problem.
Experts expected that the unemployment figures would rise in
October.
It was expected that unemployment figures would rise
in October.

4. OTHER VERBS
Other verbs that can be used in this pattern
include:
allege / announce / assume / believe/ calculate
/ claim / consider / declare / discover/estimate
/ expect / feel / find / know/ mention /
propose / recommend / rumour / say/ show /
suppose / think / understand

5. TO INFINITIVE IMPERSONAL PASSIVES

An alternative is:

the subject of the main sentence + passive verb + to-
infinitive.

It is claimed that the terrorist is living abroad.

The terrorist is claimed to be living abroad.

It is alleged that 300 people died in the plane crash

Three hundred people are alleged to have died in
the plane crash.

6. A few more examples

It is thought that he stole over a million pounds.

He is thought to have stolen over a million pounds.

It was reported that he was killed in a fire.

He was reported to have been killed in a fire.

It is expected that the strike will begin tomorrow or

The strike is expected to begin tomorrow.

7. Summing up verb changes

action in the present or future  infinitive (to go)

action in the past  perfect infinitive (to have gone)

8. THERE + BE IN THE PASSIVE VOICE
When a that-clause begins that + there, we can
make a passive form: there + passive verb + to be.
Compare:
It is thought (that) there are too many obstacles to
peace or
There are thought to be too many obstacles to
peace.
It was alleged (that) there had been an explosion or
There was alleged to have been an explosion.

9. Your turn

They think that he earns a lot of money.

Visitors say that these museums have wonderful
exhibits.

Experts suppose that this jewellery belonged to
Cleopatra.

Journalists reported that many people had been
injured in the earthquake.