In the previous grammar lessons in this unit, you learned how to use the passive voice with various tenses and how to use it to form causative. This lesson will focus on using the passive voice to express opinions, ideas, and beliefs.
Describing Present Beliefs and Opinions
When you want to talk about beliefs or thoughts that are commonly held, you can use the passive voice. This allows you to focus on the opinion rather than the person or people who hold it.
The structure is as follows: It is + past participle + that + clause
- It is believed that children who are raised in bilingual homes usually do better in school than children who grow up speaking only one language.
The sentence implies that this is something that most or many people believe, so it isn’t necessary to say this directly.
These are some of the most commonly used verbs with this structure:
- believe
- think
- know
- consider
- understand
- expect
- accept
- assume
- feel
Unlock full access by logging in. Registered users can explore the entire lesson and more.