Have a go — no notes, and don't worry about getting it perfect.
You already know simple passive tenses — no rumours or arranging yet, just the basics. Complete this sentence:
"This house built in the 1920s."
Have a go out loud: say one rumour or claim you've heard recently — about a neighbour, a colleague, or something in the news — starting however feels natural. Don't worry about the grammar yet.
Anna: Did you hear? They say the flat above mine's finally been sold.
Priya: Really? I heard it's going to be turned into some kind of office, not lived in at all.
Look again at what Anna and Priya say. Neither of them names exactly who "they" are, or who told Priya about the office. Why might English deliberately avoid naming the source when passing on something uncertain? Say your idea out loud before you check.
For passing on claims, rumours and reports without saying exactly who told you, or how sure you are.
Three claims you might overhear:
Before you check: what three ingredients appear in every bold phrase?
The specific source disappears completely — the claim stands on its own, and the speaker isn't personally vouching for it.
1. Everyone says the new manager is very strict.
Report it carefully, without naming your source: "It that the new manager is very strict."
You can also start with the person or thing itself instead of "it":
Notice the difference between the two examples — one uses "to be", the other "to have died". What decides which one you need?
2. It is said that the shop on the corner is under new management.
Now name the shop directly: "The shop on the corner under new management."
3. It is thought that the letter arrived too late to be counted.
Name the letter directly: "The letter too late to be counted."
Think of a rumour or claim you've heard about your neighbourhood, your workplace, or someone you know a little (nothing too private). Say it out loud starting with "It is said that..." or "...is believed to...".
For arranging someone else to do a job for you — repairs, appointments, favours.
None of these people did the job themselves. What's the shared structure?
1. A decorator is going to paint our kitchen next week.
Tell a friend the plan: "Next week we're ."
Two more everyday examples, with a small but important difference:
Compare the two bold phrases closely: what changes after the person's name, and why might that connect to how easy each favour was to arrange?
2. The hotel manager arranged for the porter to carry our bags upstairs — it's simply part of his job.
Tell a friend what happened, using have: "We our bags upstairs."
3. My neighbour wasn't keen at first, but after a lot of asking, she agreed to feed the cat while we're away.
Tell a friend, using get: "It took some persuading, but I feed the cat."
Think about your home. Say three things you've had done, or are going to get done, recently or soon — repairs, a haircut, a delivery, anything. Then say one thing you had to persuade or arrange for someone to do for you.
For something unlucky or unplanned that happens to you — no arranging involved this time.
Nobody arranged any of this — it just happened. What's the structure?
1. Rain started pouring down on the way to work, and I had no coat.
Tell a friend what happened: "I on the way to work."
2. Someone broke into my neighbour's shed last night and took his bike.
Tell a friend the bad news: "His bike last night."
3. We left the ladder against the fence, and the wind blew it onto the car parked next to it.
Explain what happened: "The car when the ladder fell on it."
Think of a time something went wrong for you recently — you got stuck somewhere, something got broken or lost, you got caught in bad weather. Tell the story out loud in a few sentences, using "got + past participle".
One story, all three forms — reporting, arranging, and things that just happen.
Think of a piece of news, gossip or a rumour you've heard recently — and something that's happened to you or that you've had done lately (a repair, a favour, a mishap).
Tell a one-minute story out loud. Try to include:
Write a short message (3–5 sentences) to a friend covering the same ground. Use all three forms from today — the checker will tell you which ones it finds.
Real life doesn't tell you which form to use. Here everything is mixed — you decide.
Each sentence has one grammar mistake. Rewrite the whole sentence correctly.
1. "It is thinking that the museum will close early today."
2. "He is thought to leave the country last year, though nobody is sure."
3. "We had our car repair last weekend."
4. "My phone got broke when it fell off the table."
5. You've heard a rumour about a colleague but you're not certain it's true. "She ___ moving to the Tokyo office next year."
6. Your teenage son refuses to tidy his room, but after non-stop nagging, he finally does it. "I ___ his room."
7. Give the neutral, factual report for an insurance form. "The window ___ during the storm."
One-minute challenge: a friend asks what's new. Tell them a rumour you've heard ("it is said/thought that..."), something you've had done recently, and something unlucky that happened to you ("got + past participle"). Use the timer above if you like the pressure.
1. A reminder of a basic passive form. Complete: "These emails automatically — nobody writes them by hand."
2. Say it out loud: what's the difference in meaning between "The window was broken" and "The window has been broken"?
3. Nobody's said it officially, but everyone in the area assumes the old library is going to become a hotel. Report it carefully: "It that the old library is going to become a hotel."
4. A gardener is coming tomorrow to trim our hedge. Tell a friend: "We're our hedge tomorrow."
5. While we were on holiday, someone broke into our shed and made off with the tools. Tell the story: "The tools while we were on holiday."
Which part of today felt most useful — reporting a rumour carefully, arranging something to be done, or talking about something that happened to you unexpectedly? Say why you think that one worked for you.
At the start we said: report claims carefully, and talk about arranging things or having them happen to you. Tick what's true: