Distancing language — hedges & reporting passives
B2 • quick reference
Why we “distance” information
Writers and speakers often avoid sounding 100% certain, especially in news, academic, or diplomatic contexts. We use distancing language to show that the information is reported, uncertain, or not our personal opinion. Two big tools are passive reporting structures and hedges (seem, apparently, might, etc.).
Reporting passives — pattern A
It + passive reporting verb + that-clause
| Meaning | Form | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| General report; the source is unknown/unspecified. | It + is/was/has been + said/believed/claimed… + that + S + V |
|
Common reporting verbs: say, report, announce, believe, think, consider, expect, understand, suggest, know.
Reporting passives — pattern B
Subject + be + past participle + to-infinitive
| Timing | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Same time as reporting | is/are said/thought + to be | The twins are said to be in Spain. |
| Ongoing action | is/are said + to be V-ing | They are believed to be negotiating a deal. |
| Earlier than reporting | is/are said + to have V-ed | She is thought to have resigned last week. |
| Earlier & ongoing | is/are said + to have been V-ing | He is known to have been working abroad since June. |
Past reference uses was/were; present perfect uses has/have been.
“There” with reporting passives
We can report existence with there as a dummy subject:
- There is believed to be a second suspect.
- There are said to be new talks next week.
Keep subject–verb agreement: There is believed to be (singular idea), There are said to be (plural).
Hedges with seem/appear
- It seems/appears + that + clause — It seems that demand is rising.
- It would seem/appear + that — slightly more formal and cautious.
- Subject + seem/appear + to-infinitive — Prices seem to be falling.
- Aspect choices:
- to be V-ing (ongoing) — They appear to be negotiating.
- to have V-ed (earlier) — She seems to have changed strategy.
- to have been V-ing (earlier & ongoing) — He appears to have been leaking data.
Sentence adverbs that signal distance
- apparently — speaker reports what others say: Apparently, the show moves to Fridays.
- allegedly — used for suspected wrongdoing: He allegedly used a fake ID.
- reportedly / supposedly / purportedly — neutral report of claims.
- presumably — logical guess: The road is closed, so they’re presumably rerouting traffic.
- according to + source — According to witnesses, the fire started in the kitchen.
Position: these adverbs usually go at the start of the clause and are followed by a comma, or they appear after the subject/first auxiliary: She has apparently resigned, They will probably not attend.
Modal verbs for cautious guesses
- might / may / could + base — possibility now/future: They might announce a merger.
- might / may / could have + past participle — past possibility: She may have deleted the file.
- might / may be V-ing — ongoing possibility: He may be traveling today.
- might not / may not for negative possibility (not *could not* in this sense): They may not agree.
Neutral report verbs & noun phrases
- evidence / data / research + suggest(s) / indicate(s) that…
- there is (some / growing / limited) evidence that…
- many / some observers argue that…
- it is widely / commonly / generally believed that…
These phrases soften claims and fit well with academic or journalistic style.
Form & style tips
- Word order with negatives: place definitely/probably after the first auxiliary in negatives: She definitely isn’t coming / They probably won’t agree.
- Not-placement in reporting passives: both are possible but slightly different focus: is not believed to be… / is believed not to be….
- Register: reporting passives and would seem/appear are more formal; apparently and supposedly are neutral–informal.
- Avoid over-certainty: prefer may, appears, or is thought to… when facts are unconfirmed.
- Don’t mix tenses illogically: match the infinitive to the time reference (to have left = earlier than the reporting verb).
Quick contrasts
| Direct claim | Distanced version |
|---|---|
| The CEO will resign. | It is rumored that the CEO will resign. / The CEO is said to resign soon. |
| Police caught a second suspect. | There is believed to be a second suspect in custody. |
| Sales fell because of the price rise. | Research suggests that the recent price rise may have reduced sales. |
Exercises:
Distancing language: hedges and reporting passives
Choose the correct option to complete the sentences below.
1
the outage was caused by a configuration error.
2
The new policy
increase transparency.
3
a mismatch between the figures and the chart.
4
The CEO
resigned before the announcement.
5
demand is slowing in some regions.
6
The compound
safe at low doses.
7
The files were
deleted by a contractor.
8
remote work boosts staff retention.
9
From the data, it
that our assumptions were wrong.
10
The suspect
left the country last night.
Distancing language: hedges and reporting passives
Instruction: For each sentence, choose two options that best express distancing (hedges or reporting passives).
1
We don’t have firm data, but ____ that customer churn has increased.
A.
B.
C.
D.
2
____ several board members will step down next month.
A.
B.
C.
D.
3
The new policy ____ reduce costs without layoffs.
A.
B.
C.
D.
4
Given the small sample, the study ____ a bit underpowered.
A.
B.
C.
D.
5
Johnson ____ to have misreported his expenses.
A.
B.
C.
D.
6
We ____ underestimated the time required—let’s add a buffer.
A.
B.
C.
D.
7
____ to suggest that the drug causes addiction.
A.
B.
C.
D.
8
The outage ____ by a third-party service, according to early reports.
A.
B.
C.
D.
9
The CEO ____ to step down, but nothing has been confirmed.
A.
B.
C.
D.
10
The numbers ____ misleading; we need more data.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Distancing language: hedges and reporting passives
Fill in the gaps with the words provided in the box below.
apparentlyreportedlyallegedly
maymightseemswould seemappears
it is said thatit is believed thatit has been reported that
is thought tois reported tois said to beis believed to have
tend tosomewhatrather
1
, the board will announce the decision tomorrow.
2
the director plans to step down this year.
3
The new policy reduce costs in the long run.
4
The company underestimated demand last quarter.
5
The figures be incomplete; we need to check again.
6
It that the timeline needs revising.
7
several suppliers are raising prices.
8
Junior analysts prioritise speed over accuracy at first.
9
The proposal is ambitious for a pilot phase.
10
The device compatible with older routers.