It Is Said That / Is Thought To Be

It is said that the castle is haunted.

Notice

  • It is said that the castle is haunted.
  • The medicine is believed to reduce symptoms significantly.
  • It is thought that the ancient city was destroyed by fire.
  • The painting is reported to be worth millions.

Rule

It is said/believed/thought/reported that… and subject + is said/believed/thought to + infinitive distance the speaker from a claim — useful in formal or academic writing when reporting general belief rather than a fact you can personally confirm.

Practice

  1. Rewrite distancing the claim: ‘Coffee reduces the risk of certain diseases.’ (it is thought that)
    Answer: It is thought that coffee reduces the risk of certain diseases.
  2. Rewrite using ‘is said to’: ‘The house is over 200 years old.’
    Answer: The house is said to be over 200 years old.
  3. Rewrite using ‘is believed to’: ‘The company will announce layoffs next week.’
    Answer: The company is believed to be announcing layoffs next week.
  4. Why use these hedging structures in academic writing?
    Answer: They report a general belief or claim without the writer personally guaranteeing it is true.

Connect

Read formal texts using hedging language and identify the patterns.

Try Reading Quiz →

CEFR: Reading — understand how formal texts distance claims from confirmed fact.

Azizul Hakim
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