Unit 44. it is said that… he is said to… (be) supposed to… – grammar in use

A. Study this example situation:
Henry is very old. Nobody knows exactly how old he is, but:
It is said that he is 108 years old. or He is said to be 108 years old.
Both these sentences mean: ‘People say that he is 108 years old.’
You can use these structures with a number of other verbs, especially:
thought believed considered reported known expected alleged understood
Compare the two structures:
* Cathy works very hard.
It is said that she works 16 hours a day. or She is said to work 16 hours a day.
* The police are looking for a missing boy.
It is believed that the boy is wearing a or white pullover and blue jeans. The boy is believed to be wearing a white pullover and blue jeans.
* The strike started three weeks ago.
It is expected that it will end soon. or The strike is expected to end soon
* A friend of mine has been arrested.
It is alleged that he kicked a policeman. or He is alleged to have kicked a policeman.
* Those two houses belong to the same family.
It is said that there is a secret tunnel between them. There is said to be a secret tunnel between them.
These structures are often used in news reports. For example, in a report about an accident:
* It is reported that two people were injured in the explosion. or Two people are reported to have been injured in the explosion.
B. (Be) supposed to
Sometimes it is supposed to… = it is said to…
* Let’s go and see that film. It’s supposed to be very good. (= it is said to be very good)
* ‘Why was he arrested?’ ‘He’s supposed to have kicked a policeman.’ (= he is said to have kicked a policeman)
But sometimes supposed to has a different meaning. ‘Something is supposed to happen’ = it is planned, arranged or expected. Often this is different from what really happens:
* I’d better hurry. It’s nearly 8 o’clock and I’m supposed to be meeting Ann at 8.15. (= I have arranged to meet Ann, I said I would meet her)
* The train was supposed to arrive at 11.30 but it was an hour late. (= the train was
Expected to arrive at 11.30 according to the timetable)
* You were supposed to clean the windows. Why didn’t you do it?
‘You’re not supposed to do something’ = it is not allowed or advisable for you to do it:
* You’re not supposed to park your car here. It’s private parking only.
* Mr. Bond is much better after his illness but he’s still not supposed to do any heavy work. (= his doctors have advised him not to…)

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Похожие топики по английскому:

General interview questions Questions start the minute the interview does, and to show that you are an exceptional candidate, you need to be prepared to answer not only...

So you wanna write a unit test I think a lot of developers look at writing unit tests the way Saint Augustine thought of chastity: Oh Lord, give me the strength to...

Doyle, arthur conan the returns of sherlock holmes The Return of Sherlock Holmes, A Collection of Holmes Adventures By SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE THE ADVENTURE OF THE EMPTY HOUSE It was in the...

To be a national geographic photographer Michael “Nick” Nichols, 52, National Geographic photographer. Here’s the entire interview: Nick Nichols, uncut. As told to Kalee Thompson Talent is a given, but it...

J. g. ballard – up During the week after the jeweller’s death, events moved rapidly in a more disquieting direction. Richard Wilder, twenty-four floors below Dr Laing and for that...

Appreciate life’s annoying little things Lessons from 9/11, the annoying little things: As you might know, the head of a major company survived the tragedy of “9/11” in New York...

Three ways to stay in parati, brazil “A hotel room is more than just a place to sleep and shower. It is a threshold to an unfamiliar place and culture.” I wrote...

Mikhail khodorkovsky to vladimir putin: you owe me answers The Independent, Wednesday, 17 March 2010 Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the jailed former head of Russia’s biggest oil company, has thrown down the gauntlet to Vladimir Putin,...

09. a language adventure. sciences po I was lucky enough to get a scholarship from the French government for my second two years and moved to Paris where I entered L’Institut...

What goes around comes around One day a man saw an old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could...

Menorrhagia significantly, durably reduced with tranexamic acid Menorrhagia Significantly, Durably Reduced With Tranexamic Acid May 4, 2011 (Washington, DC) – Oral tranexamic acid (TA) significantly reduced menstrual blood loss in women with...

A matter of timing Jane paid for the groceries and looked at the wall clock. Good. She had made it. She put the paper bag on her left hip....

There are no anchovies in caesar salad An excerpt out of From Julia Child’s Kitchen One of my early remembrances of restaurant life was going to Tijuana in 1925 or 1926 with...

Scientific glasnost Russia’s scientific reputation will continue to dwindle unless it embraces international research. Ever since the Soviet Union fell apart in 1991, Russian leaders have been...

J. k. rowling’s thoughts ghost plots This is a personal expression, which has nothing to do with tales of the dead. Over the seventeen years that I planned and wrote the...

Depression can increase the risk of heart attack Depression and social isolation can increase the risk of heart attack. So researchers from Washington University’s School of Medicine, the Mayo Clinic, the Harvard School...

Gulliver’s travels by jonathan swift chapter 1 My father had a small estate in Nottinghamshire: I was The third of five sons. He sent me to Emanuel College In Cambridge at fourteen...

Rules that guys wish girls knew 1. Sometimes we just don’t want to talk. Don’t take it personally. 2. We notice other women because we are men and we are alive....

Interview questions: work history Interview Questions: Work History – Name of company, position title and description, dates of employment. – Best Answers Interviewers expect a candidate for employment to...

Townsend sue – adrian mole: diary of a provincial man Sue Townsend Adrian Mole: Diary of a Provincial Man Published in The Guardian December 4th 1999 – November 24th 2001 Adrian Mole is now aged...