This document discusses the stative passive and reporting passive in English. The stative passive describes a state of being and usually does not have an active form or agent. The reporting passive reports ideas, beliefs, or opinions using forms like "it is said" or a subject followed by an infinitive. Examples are provided to illustrate these constructions. Exercises then have readers label examples as stative or reporting passive and identify the tense. Key points about verbs like "consider" and "regard" that can take different structures are also explained.

1. U N I T 1 5 : S T A T I V E P A S S I V E & R E P O R T I N G
P A S S I V E
Paul Nicklas
Inlingua DC, ILI MD

2. Review: Stative Passive
 Describes situations or state of beings
 There is usually no action taking place
 Be + past participle + preposition
 Past participle is like an adjective
 Don’t usually have an active sentence form
 Don’t usually have a by agent
 Exceptions: connect and surround
 A peninsula is surrounded (by water) on three sides.
 The people are related to each other.
 Walnut is located in California.

3. Review: Reporting Passive
 Report ideas, beliefs, or opinions
 2 Forms:
 It + be + past participle + (that) clause
 Subject + be + past participle + infinitive
 In reporting passive, the it is unknown
 Usually have active sentence form
 Optional by agent

4. Review: Reporting Passive
 It + be + past participle + (that clause)
 Reporting Passive
 It is said (that) this culture is very old.
 Reporting Passive with by agent
 It is said (by people) (that) this culture is very old.
 Active Voice Form
 People say this culture is very old.

5. Review: Reporting Passive
• Subject + be + past participle + to phrase (infinitive)
 Reporting Passive
 He is thought to be the author.
 Reporting Passive with by agent
 He is thought (by scholars) to be the author.
 Active Voice Form
 Scholars think he is the author.

6. About That
 Remember, that is optional and often omitted in
informal English.
 Ideas: It is reported (that) the Nacirema actually insert
into their mouths a stick covered with magical paste.
 Beliefs: It is also believed (that) the secret to getting rid
of these devils is to talk about them.
 Opinions: It is assumed (that) this culture is very old.
 Some verbs can’t be followed by a that clause like
regard:
 It is regarded (that) these people came from Asia.

7. Note: The verb Consider
 Verb: Consider
 Native Americans are considered to be the real
discoverers.
 Native Americans are considered the real
discoverers.
 Both - consider can take an infinitive or it can be
omitted.

8. Note : The verb Regard
 Verb: Regard
 Columbus is regarded as the discoverer of America.
 Columbus is regarded the discoverer of America.
 The first one – regard is followed by as + noun
clause

9. Exercise 1
 For each of the ones you highlighted, let’s label them
Stative Passive or Reporting Passive
 Was known – reporting
 Is believed – reporting
 Is owned – stative
 Is thought – reporting
 Is related – stative
 Was said – reporting
 Is not connected – stative (has optional by agent)

10. Exercise 1
 Is surrounded – stative
 Is considered – reporting
 Are known – reporting
 Was said – reporting
 Is composed of – stative
 Are assumed – reporting

11. Exercise 2
2. Owned – active voice
3. Claimed – reporting passive (It + be + p.p.)
4. Found – active voice
5. Were said – reporting passive (infinitive)
6. Was composed of –stative passive
7. Are also thought – reporting passive (infinitive)
8. Are alleged – reporting passive (infinitive)
9. Are located – stative passive
10. Said – active voice
11. Are known – stative passive

12. Exercise 3
2. Is believed – simple present, “today”
3. Is said – simple present, “today”
4. Is not known – simple present, “are”
5. Is now assumed – simple present, “now”
6. Was also thought – simple past, “was”
7. Are now believed – simple present, “now”
8. Is claimed – simple present
9. Is known – simple present, known today not in the
past

13. Exercise 3
10. Was conjectured – simple past, “had been
established”
11. Is/was known – simple present or simple past,
most would assume simple present because of
“have been popular”
12. Is/was thought - simple present or simple past,
most would assume simple present because of
“have played”
13. Can safely be assumed – modal, adverb comes after
modal

14. Exercise 4
2. Is believed – simple present, “is”
3. Was previously thought – simple past, “previously,” adverb
goes after Be verb
4. Is understood – simple present, “are”
5. Is well known – simple present, “now” or “is,” adverb goes
after Be verb
6. Might be perceived – modal
7. Is widely confirmed – simple present, “let,” adverb goes
after Be verb
8. Has been well established – present perfect, “has”
9. Are known – simple present, “am”
10. Has been considered – present perfect, “has”
11. Can be assumed – modal