Think about how you'd finish these sentences naturally:
🎙 Speak: Say how you'd complete each one. No perfect answers needed — your instinct is what matters.
At C1 level, you've mastered simple passives. But advanced reporting and causative structures are where native speakers really shine. They appear constantly in:
These structures let you report what others say (without quoting them directly) and delegate tasks with embedded accountability. That's real C1 power.
Read these three sentences aloud. What do they have in common structurally?
🎙 Speak: What structure do you notice? Subject + verb + ?
Passive reporting verbs let you report what others say or think without quoting them directly. Instead of "People say that she resigned," you say "She is said to have resigned." It's more elegant, more formal, and more sophisticated.
What people say/think now
is / are + alleged/believed/considered + to + base verb
Example:
"She is believed to be guilty."
What people said/thought about the past
is / are + alleged/believed/considered + to have + past participle
Example:
"She is believed to have fled the city."
Key insight: The helping verb BE changes tense (is/are/was/were), but the reporting verb stays in past participle form. The infinitive tells the time frame.
| Direct (Active) | Passive Reporting | Key Verb |
|---|---|---|
| "She resigned last month." | She is understood to have resigned last month. |
understood |
| "He is involved in fraud." | He is alleged to be involved in fraud. |
alleged |
| "The report was incomplete." | The report is considered to have been incomplete. |
considered |
| "They will meet on Friday." | They are expected to meet on Friday. |
expected |
| "The company made record profits." | The company is known to have made record profits. |
known |
Someone claims (not proven)
is alleged to have stolen
Someone asserts (possibly false)
is claimed to be
People think/judge
is considered to be
People anticipate
is expected to announce
It's established/public knowledge
is known to have
News/media sources say
is reported to be
People believe (common opinion)
is thought to be
It's the accepted understanding
is understood to have
I'll give you an active sentence. You identify the reporting verb and transform it. Say your answer aloud first.
Active: "The director approved the budget."
→ Use reported:
is reported to have approved the budget."Note: Past action, so we use "to have" + past participle.
Active: "She is hiding from the authorities."
→ Use believed:
is believed to be hiding from the authorities."Note: Present continuous, so we use "to be" + present participle.
Use the reporting verb in parentheses. Write or speak your answer.
1. "The company will announce layoffs next week." (expected)
is expected to announce layoffs next week."
2. "He was responsible for the security breach." (claimed)
is claimed to have been responsible for the security breach."
3. "The witness saw the suspect." (thought)
is thought to have seen the suspect."
Causative structures let you say "I caused something to happen" or "I got someone to do something" — without doing it yourself. At C1 level, you control both have and get, and you know when each one fits.
Formal, professional, neutral — things get done.
have + object + past participle
Example:
"I'll have the files sent by Friday."
Informal, active, persuasive — you convince someone.
get + object + infinitive (or -ing)
Example:
"Can you get him to sign the contract?"
The thing is done for you (by a service provider or professional).
Real examples:
You command someone to do something (they work for you or must obey).
Real examples:
You persuade or convince someone to do something (they have a choice).
Real examples:
Something happens to you or the object (often negative or involuntary).
Real examples:
Which would you use in each scenario?
You need your car fixed. You take it to a mechanic.
have my car repaired."You need your colleague to review your presentation before the meeting.
get him to review my presentation?"You tell your employee to finish the project by Friday.
have you finish the project by Friday."1. "Someone broke into the house. I need to fix the lock."
Start: "I'll my lock "
have my lock repaired."
2. "The boss wants the report redone. She's telling the intern."
Start: "She'll the intern the report"
have the intern redo the report."
3. "Can you convince him to stay for the meeting?"
Start: "Can you him for the meeting?"
get him to stay for the meeting?"
At C1 level, you can stack these structures. You can report what someone got done, or describe a causative action using passive voice. These overlaps appear in sophisticated writing and formal speech.
When you want to report that someone caused something to happen.
Structure: be + reported/believed/etc. + to have + had/got + object + verb
More examples:
believed to have had the decision reviewed by legal."thought to have got the vote passed in committee."reported to have had the servers upgraded overnight."When the action itself is described passively.
Note: True passive causatives are rare in modern English. We usually simplify or restructure.
Smart example:
Instead of: "The files were had sent by the deadline."
Use: "The files were sent by the deadline." (simple passive)
Using GET with a passive infinitive emphasizes that something involuntary or accidental happened to you.
| Active GET | Passive GET | Nuance |
|---|---|---|
| "I got my passport renewed." | "I got my passport renewed" (same form) | Neutral causative |
| "Don't get yourself hurt!" | "Don't get yourself arrested!" | Warn against negative outcome |
| "She got the project completed." | "She got the project finished." | Same meaning, different formality |
Key insight: With passive infinitive, GET often implies an undesirable consequence or something outside your control. Compare:
What would you use? (Write your answer aloud.)
Situation: A journalist reports that someone fled the country, but it's not confirmed.
Passive ReportingWhy? You're reporting an unconfirmed claim, not describing a causative action.
Situation: Your boss told you to arrange a meeting. You're telling a colleague you did it.
Causative (HAVE)Why? You're describing an action you caused someone to do — causative, not reporting.
Situation: You want to warn your friend not to get involved in something risky.
GET + Passive InfinitiveWhy? You're warning about an involuntary or negative outcome — GET works better because it emphasises risk.
Instruction: Take this simple sentence and transform it using passive reporting:
"The government is planning new regulations."
Start: "The government is _____ to _____"
is believed to be planning new regulations."is reported to be planning new regulations."
Instruction: Rewrite using causative (HAVE or GET):
"Someone needs to check this data. I'll ask someone to do it."
Start: "I'll get _____"
get someone to check this data."have the data checked."
Now let's get fluent. You'll transform sentences using both passive reporting and causative structures. The goal is to build automaticity — you should hear which structure fits naturally.
Journalists often avoid direct claims. Transform these into passive reporting (using different verbs each time).
Headline 1: "CEO Announces Major Acquisition"
Rewrite (use "reported"):
is reported to have announced a major acquisition."
Headline 2: "Scientists Discover New Species in the Amazon"
Rewrite (use "said"):
said to have been discovered in the Amazon."
Headline 3: "The Report Was Incomplete"
Rewrite (use "considered"):
considered to be incomplete." Or (more formal): "The report is considered incomplete."
More sophisticated than "Do this!" — use causative structures.
1. You need someone to analyse the quarterly data.
Rewrite (HAVE or GET?): "I'll the quarterly data "
have the quarterly data analysed." (You're delegating to a professional or team member.)get someone to analyse the quarterly data." (More persuasive — asking for help.)
2. The client's system crashed. You need IT to fix it.
Rewrite: "I'll their system "
have their system fixed." (Professional service; IT is responsible.)3. You're asking a friend to help you move house.
Rewrite: "Can you them help us move?"
get them to help us move?" (You're asking a friend to convince them — persuasion, not command.)
Read each scenario. Write or speak your transformation, then check.
Scenario A: "The committee voted to reject the proposal. A journalist reports this."
What do you write?
reported to have voted to reject the proposal."Scenario B: "Your boss wants the presentation updated by tomorrow. You're telling your team."
What do you say?
have the presentation updated by tomorrow."Scenario C: "A rumour says the company is going bankrupt, but no official announcement yet."
What do you say?
rumoured/said to be going bankrupt." Or: "The company is believed to be facing bankruptcy."For each transformation above, why did you choose that structure instead of the other? What would happen if you used the wrong one?
🎙 Speak for 30-45 seconds:
These structures aren't just grammar exercises — they're how native speakers communicate at high levels. Let's see them in context.
What's happening here? Sarah is delegating (HAVE) and asking someone to persuade others (GET). Both structures are more sophisticated than "Do X" or "Send X."
🎙 Speak: Write or say a similar delegating message about something in your work context. Use HAVE and GET.
What's happening here? A political analyst reports sensitive information without making direct claims. Passive reporting gives them distance and credibility.
🎙 Speak: Take a recent news story (sports, politics, entertainment). Report it using passive reporting verbs. Avoid direct quotes.
What's happening here? Someone is warning a friend about negative consequences using GET + passive. It's conversational but advanced — they're saying "Don't cause yourself to be [negative outcome]."
🎙 Speak: Imagine you're warning a friend about a risky situation. Use GET + passive infinitive to caution them.
What's happening here? A formal report uses passive reporting (expected, believed, reported) to describe actions and decisions. It's formal, objective, and doesn't make unsubstantiated claims.
🎙 Speak: Write or describe a formal situation (a business decision, an incident, a policy change). Use passive reporting to maintain formality.
Choose one of these tasks. Speak for 2-3 minutes, using both passive reporting AND causative structures where they fit naturally.
Option A: You're a manager briefing your team about a recent company restructuring. Report what leadership has decided and what you'll have the team do.
Option B: You're commenting on a recent political or business story (real or imagined). Report what different sources claim, using passive reporting throughout. Avoid direct quotation.
Option C: You're advising someone on a project. Describe what you'll have done, what you'll get them to do, and any risks they should avoid.
🎙 Record yourself or speak aloud. Aim for 2-3 minutes minimum.
Without looking anything up — answer these from memory:
1. Name three passive reporting verbs and give an example of each in a sentence.
alleged to have stolen the artwork." / "He is believed to be hiding." / "The data is considered to be incomplete."
2. What's the key difference between HAVE and GET as causative verbs?
3. Complete this sentence: "She got the report before the deadline."
completed before the deadline." (past participle = passive infinitive)it completed" / "She had it completed"
4. Why might a journalist use passive reporting instead of direct quotes?
No hints. Use passive reporting, causative, or both — whichever fits best.
1. "The suspect fled the country. The police believe this."
is believed to have fled the country."
2. "We paid the engineer to design the building."
had the building designed by the engineer." Or: "We had the engineer design the building."
3. "Don't let yourself be tricked by false advertising."
get yourself tricked by false advertising."
4. "It's widely accepted that this drug is safe. (Write a passive reporting sentence.)"
is understood/considered/believed to be safe." Or: "It is widely known that the drug is safe."
🎙 Speak aloud for 60 seconds on one of these:
✓ Use passive reporting verbs (alleged, believed, considered, expected, known, reported, thought, understood) to report information indirectly.
✓ Transform active statements into passive reporting, maintaining the correct tense signalling.
✓ Form and use advanced causative structures with HAVE (formal/professional) and GET (informal/persuasive).
✓ Distinguish between causative contexts: delegation, services, persuasion, and warnings.
✓ Combine passive reporting and causative structures in sophisticated writing and formal speech.
✓ Sound more natural and credible in formal communication, journalism, and professional contexts.
These structures appear in:
Start noticing these structures in your reading. When you see "is believed to have" or "had the team complete," pause and ask: Why did the writer choose this? That awareness is how you internalise them.