News reports rarely say “people say” or “the police think”. Instead they write It is said that… or He is believed to be…. These passive structures report opinions and information without naming a source, and they are a classic in vestibular reading texts.Os noticiários quase nunca dizem “as pessoas dizem” ou “a polícia acha”. Em vez disso, escrevem It is said that… (Diz-se que…) ou He is believed to be… (Acredita-se que ele seja…). Essas estruturas passivas relatam opiniões e informações sem citar a fonte, e são um clássico nos textos de vestibular.
B1+ It is said that…
The simplest structure starts with It + passive reporting verb + that + a full clause. It is the equivalent of the Portuguese “diz-se que”, “acredita-se que” or “sabe-se que”. The it is an empty subject; English sentences always need one.A estrutura mais simples começa com It + verbo de relato na passiva + that + uma oração completa. É o equivalente a “diz-se que”, “acredita-se que” ou “sabe-se que” em português. O it é um sujeito vazio; frases em inglês sempre precisam de sujeito.
- It is said that the Amazon produces a large part of the world’s rain. (Diz-se que a Amazônia produz grande parte da chuva do mundo.)
- It is believed that the painting is worth millions. (Acredita-se que o quadro valha milhões.)
- It was reported that two people were injured in the fire. (Foi noticiado que duas pessoas ficaram feridas no incêndio.)
- It is expected that fuel prices will rise next month. (Espera-se que o preço dos combustíveis suba no mês que vem.)
| Reporting verb | Example | Português |
|---|---|---|
| say | It is said that the hotel is haunted. | Dizem que o hotel é mal-assombrado. |
| believe | It is believed that he left the country. | Acredita-se que ele tenha saído do país. |
| think | It is thought that the fire started in the kitchen. | Acredita-se que o fogo tenha começado na cozinha. |
| know | It is known that sugar is bad for your teeth. | Sabe-se que o açúcar faz mal para os dentes. |
| report | It has been reported that the minister resigned. | Foi noticiado que o ministro renunciou. |
| expect | It is expected that the bill will pass. | Espera-se que o projeto seja aprovado. |
| estimate | It is estimated that 5,000 people attended. | Estima-se que 5 mil pessoas compareceram. |
Other common verbs are claim, consider, suppose, understand, rumour, allege and agree. The tense of be shows when the reporting happened: it is said (now), it was said (in the past), it has been said (up to now).Outros verbos comuns são claim, consider, suppose, understand, rumour, allege e agree. O tempo do be mostra quando o relato aconteceu: it is said (agora), it was said (no passado), it has been said (até agora).
Teacher’s tip
Brazilians often write “Is said that…” because Portuguese drops the subject (“Diz-se que…”). In English, never forget the it: ✗ Is believed that… ✓ It is believed that…Os brasileiros costumam escrever “Is said that…” porque o português omite o sujeito (“Diz-se que…”). Em inglês, nunca esqueça o it.
B2 He is said to be…: the personal passive
At B2 we can also start with the person or thing we are talking about, followed by the passive reporting verb and an infinitive. This is very common in journalism because it is shorter and puts the topic first. The type of infinitive shows the time relation with the reporting verb.No B2 também podemos começar pela pessoa ou coisa de que estamos falando, seguida do verbo de relato na passiva e de um infinitivo. Isso é muito comum no jornalismo, porque é mais curto e coloca o assunto em primeiro lugar. O tipo de infinitivo mostra a relação de tempo com o verbo de relato.
| Time relation | Infinitive | Example | Português |
|---|---|---|---|
| same time (state) | to + verb | She is said to be the best surgeon in Recife. | Dizem que ela é a melhor cirurgiã de Recife. |
| same time (in progress) | to be + -ing | The company is thought to be planning layoffs. | Acredita-se que a empresa esteja planejando demissões. |
| earlier | to have + pp | The thief is believed to have escaped by car. | Acredita-se que o ladrão tenha fugido de carro. |
| earlier (passive) | to have been + pp | The house is reported to have been sold. | Dizem que a casa foi vendida. |
| future | to + verb (with expect) | The president is expected to arrive at noon. | O presidente deve chegar ao meio-dia. |
- The singer is said to be recording a new album in Salvador. (Dizem que a cantora está gravando um novo álbum em Salvador.)
- The suspect was believed to have left the city the night before. (Acreditava-se que o suspeito tivesse deixado a cidade na noite anterior.)
- The two companies are understood to be discussing a merger. (Ao que se sabe, as duas empresas estão negociando uma fusão.)
- The bridge is considered to be one of the safest in the country. (A ponte é considerada uma das mais seguras do país.)
Impersonal: It is said that…
Starts with an empty it and a full clause.Começa com um it vazio e uma oração completa.
It is said that he speaks five languages. (Dizem que ele fala cinco idiomas.)
Personal: He is said to…
Starts with the topic and uses an infinitive.Começa pelo assunto e usa um infinitivo.
He is said to speak five languages. (Dizem que ele fala cinco idiomas.)
There is said to be
With there is / there are, the personal structure becomes there is said to be, there are thought to be, and so on.Com there is / there are, a estrutura pessoal vira there is said to be, there are thought to be, e assim por diante.
There are believed to be over 300 indigenous languages in Brazil. (Acredita-se que existam mais de 300 línguas indígenas no Brasil.)
Distancing expressions
Reporting passives are one type of distancing: the writer shows that the information is not confirmed and avoids taking responsibility for it. Other distancing tools are seem / appear to, it seems / appears that and adverbs like apparently, allegedly, reportedly and supposedly. Use them in essays, reports and formal emails.As passivas de relato são um tipo de distanciamento: quem escreve mostra que a informação não está confirmada e evita se responsabilizar por ela. Outras ferramentas de distanciamento são seem / appear to, it seems / appears that e advérbios como apparently, allegedly, reportedly e supposedly. Use-os em redações, relatórios e e-mails formais.
- The mayor allegedly accepted a bribe. (O prefeito teria aceitado propina.)
- There appears to have been a mistake with your booking. (Parece que houve um erro na sua reserva.)
- Apparently, the match has been postponed until Sunday. (Pelo jeito, o jogo foi adiado para domingo.)
- It would seem that the new policy is not working. (Ao que tudo indica, a nova política não está funcionando.)
The Portuguese “teria”
Brazilian news uses the conditional to distance itself: “O suspeito teria fugido”. English does not use would for this. Use allegedly, reportedly or a reporting passive: The suspect is said to have escaped.O jornalismo brasileiro usa o futuro do pretérito para se distanciar: “O suspeito teria fugido”. O inglês não usa would para isso. Use allegedly, reportedly ou uma passiva de relato: The suspect is said to have escaped.
Common Mistakes
Avoid these
✗ Is said that he is rich. ✓ It is said that he is rich.O inglês precisa do sujeito it.
✗ He is said that he is rich. ✓ He is said to be rich.Não misture as duas estruturas: com sujeito pessoal, use o infinitivo.
✗ She is believed to leave yesterday. ✓ She is believed to have left yesterday.Para algo anterior ao relato, use to have + particípio.
✗ The thief would have escaped through the window. (meaning “teria fugido”) ✓ The thief reportedly escaped through the window.Para o “teria” jornalístico, use reportedly, allegedly ou uma passiva de relato.
✗ There is said to have many problems. ✓ There are said to be many problems.Com there, use there is / are said to be, concordando com o substantivo.
Quick Summary
| Structure | Example | Português |
|---|---|---|
| It is + pp + that | It is said that she is rich. | Dizem que ela é rica. |
| subject + is + pp + to + verb | She is said to be rich. | Dizem que ela é rica. |
| … to be + -ing | He is thought to be hiding. | Acredita-se que ele esteja escondido. |
| … to have + pp | They are believed to have won. | Acredita-se que eles tenham vencido. |
| there is / are + pp + to be | There are said to be ghosts here. | Dizem que há fantasmas aqui. |
| distancing adverb | He allegedly lied. | Ele teria mentido. |
| seem / appear | There seems to be a problem. | Parece haver um problema. |
Practice Time
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