Advanced · Grammar Reference
Unit 10 — Reporting & Modal Nuance
it + passive + that · subject + passive + to-inf · seem/appear · quite · question tags
10.1 It + passive verb + that clause
We can report words and actions using the passive in various ways.
It is said that Bet Molam, the writer, earns $1 million a year.It is reported that she is living in a rented house in Malibu.Other verbs that follow this pattern:
agreeallegeannounceassumebelievecalculateclaimconsiderdecidedeclarediscoverexpectfearfeelfindhopeknowpresumeproposerecommendsayshowsuggestsupposesuspectthinkunderstand
With some verbs we can use an infinitive instead of a that clause.
It was agreed to buy the company for €500 million. It is hoped to find a solution soon.10.2 Subject + passive verb + to-infinitive
Bet Molam is said to earn $1 million a year. (Present Simple infinitive)
| Form | Example |
|---|
| Present Simple infinitive | She is said to earn $1 million a year. |
| Present Continuous infinitive | She is reported to be living in Malibu. |
| Perfect infinitive | She is alleged to have married her third husband. |
| Perfect continuous infinitive | She is known to have been working on a new book. |
| Present passive infinitive | The book is said to be based on her experiences. |
| Perfect passive infinitive | She is understood to have been given an advance. |
Notice this transformation with there:
It is thought that there has been a plane crash this afternoon. → There is thought to have been a plane crash this afternoon.10.3 seem and appear
We can use seem and appear to give information without stating categorically that we know it to be true.
| Pattern | Example |
|---|
| It + seem/appear + that clause | It seems that she's upset. It appears that she's crying. |
| Subject + seem/appear + to-infinitive | She seems to be upset. He appears to have made a mistake. |
We can make the statement more tentative with the use of would.
It would seem the problem has been nipped in the bud.10.4 quite
Quite has three meanings:
- With gradable positive adjectives, stress on quite, falling intonation = 'down a bit': OK, not as good as expected. It's negative.
- With gradable positive adjectives, stress on the adjective, rising intonation = 'up a bit'. It says 'It was better than I expected'; so the meaning is positive.
- With a limit adjective, it means 'up to the top'. There is stress on quite as well as the adjective, and the rising intonation is exaggerated: He's being quite ridiculous!
10.5 Question tags
Tags and replies
- A solid grasp of the systems of auxiliaries is essential to mastery of spoken English.
- Falling intonation on the tag: not a real question. It means 'Agree with me, talk to me': It's a lovely day, isn't it?
- Rising intonation on the tag: we really want to know something because we aren't sure of the answer.
- Same way tags occur after affirmative sentences. The tag is positive and the intonation rises. The speaker repeats what he/she has just heard and uses the tag to express interest, surprise, concern, or some other reaction: So you're Kevin's sister, are you?
- Reinforcement tag: no inversion in the tag. The intonation rises. The tag emphasizes the idea in the main clause by repeating it: She's a clever girl, she is. You're blind, you are.