passive + TO infinitve (belief or opinion) – English Grammar Profiler

Point 73 GSE B2+ is defined:

express impersonal belief and opinion using ‘thought/considered/believed/etc.’ +’ to’ + VP infSTUDENT

STUDENT EXAMPLES:

Moreover, English is considered to be an international language.

PELIC Thai male level 5 writing class.

In addition, he is believed to be the first teacher,

because the first education system in ancient China was established by Confucius.

PELIC Chinese male level 5 grammar class.

EXPERT EXAMPLE:

After all, the first intentional human burial is thought to have occurred around 100,000 years ago.

TED

*Although not listed, both examples from Pearson follow on with superlative phrases + prepositional phrases.

A search in iWeb for:

thought|considered|believed TO _VVI

1 IS BELIEVED TO HELP 713 2 IS THOUGHT TO HELP 692 3 IS THOUGHT TO PLAY 437 4 IS THOUGHT TO OCCUR 406 5 ARE THOUGHT TO PLAY 372 6 IS THOUGHT TO AFFECT 367 7 IS THOUGHT TO INCREASE 349 8 ARE THOUGHT TO HELP 328 9 IS BELIEVED TO PLAY 299 10 IS BELIEVED TO BRING 292 11 IS THOUGHT TO WORK 280 12 IS THOUGHT TO RESULT 278 13 IS BELIEVED TO CONTAIN 276 14 ARE BELIEVED TO HELP 270 15 IS BELIEVED TO INCREASE 263 16 IS THOUGHT TO CONTRIBUTE 258 17 IS THOUGHT TO CAUSE 254 18 IS BELIEVED TO CAUSE 250 19 IS BELIEVED TO WORK 245 20 IS THOUGHT TO REDUCE 232 21 IS BELIEVED TO OCCUR 230 22 ARE THOUGHT TO CONTRIBUTE 228 23 ARE BELIEVED TO PLAY 216

24 IS THOUGHT TO REPRESENT 215

25 IS BELIEVED TO COME 210 26 ARE THOUGHT TO CAUSE 209 27 IS THOUGHT TO COME 204 28 IS THOUGHT TO BRING 200 29 BE CONSIDERED TO ENSURE 198 30 ARE THOUGHT TO REPRESENT 195 31 IS BELIEVED TO REDUCE 193 32 IS THOUGHT TO IMPROVE 183 33 IS THOUGHT TO CONTAIN 182 34 BE CONSIDERED TO DETERMINE 177 35 IS BELIEVED TO HOLD 166 36 IS BELIEVED TO RESULT 158 37 IS THOUGHT TO PROMOTE 158 38 IS BELIEVED TO PROMOTE 157 39 ARE BELIEVED TO CAUSE 155 40 IS BELIEVED TO AFFECT 152 41 IS THOUGHT TO ACT 150 42 IS BELIEVED TO REPRESENT 148 43 ARE THOUGHT TO INCREASE 144 44 ARE THOUGHT TO OCCUR 142 45 IS BELIEVED TO CONTRIBUTE 142 46 IS THOUGHT TO DERIVE 139 47 IS BELIEVED TO IMPROVE 137 48 ARE THOUGHT TO WORK 136 49 IS BELIEVED TO ACT 136 50 IS THOUGHT TO PROVIDE 136 51 ARE BELIEVED TO CONTRIBUTE 133 52 ARE THOUGHT TO RESULT 133 53 IS BELIEVED TO STIMULATE 131 54 IS THOUGHT TO INVOLVE 130 55 ARE BELIEVED TO EXIST 127 56 IS THOUGHT TO STIMULATE 126 57 ARE THOUGHT TO LIVE 124 58 IS BELIEVED TO MAKE 124 59 ARE BELIEVED TO BRING 122 60 ARE BELIEVED TO CONTAIN 121 61 IS THOUGHT TO PROTECT 121 62 ARE THOUGHT TO EXIST 119 63 ARE THOUGHT TO REDUCE 119 64 IS THOUGHT TO ORIGINATE 119 65 IS BELIEVED TO POSSESS 118 66 IS THOUGHT TO LEAD 118 67 ARE BELIEVED TO REPRESENT 117 68 IS BELIEVED TO PROTECT 117 69 IS CONSIDERED TO REPRESENT 117 70 ARE THOUGHT TO CONTAIN 113 71 ARE THOUGHT TO BRING 111 72 ARE THOUGHT TO FORM 111 73 ARE THOUGHT TO PROVIDE 111 74 IS BELIEVED TO ORIGINATE 111 75 IS BELIEVED TO PROVIDE 111 76 ARE BELIEVED TO LIVE 110 77 ARE BELIEVED TO INCREASE 109 78 ARE THOUGHT TO INCLUDE 109 79 IS THOUGHT TO MAKE 106 80 BE CONSIDERED TO REDUCE 105 81 BE CONSIDERED TO HELP 104 82 IS BELIEVED TO ENHANCE 104 83 BE CONSIDERED TO MEET 102 84 ARE BELIEVED TO INCLUDE 101 85 IS THOUGHT TO PRODUCE 101 86 ARE THOUGHT TO PROTECT 99 87 IS THOUGHT TO ARISE 99 88 BE CONSIDERED TO PROVIDE 98 89 ARE THOUGHT TO ARISE 97 90 IS BELIEVED TO EXIST 97 91 IS THOUGHT TO ENHANCE 93 92 IS THOUGHT TO REFLECT 93 93 ARE THOUGHT TO AFFECT 92 94 IS THOUGHT TO PREVENT 91 95 BE CONSIDERED TO MAKE 89 96 ARE THOUGHT TO MAKE 87 97 ARE BELIEVED TO REDUCE 85 98 ARE THOUGHT TO ACT 85 99 ARE THOUGHT TO COME 83

100 ARE BELIEVED TO OCCUR 82

The top 100 iWeb results do not show any sense of ‘belief or opinion’.  Most are the infinitive of purpose:

_VB _VVN to _VVI

1 IS DESIGNED TO HELP 26476 2 IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE 23701 3 BE USED TO CREATE 18000 4 BE USED TO MAKE 17164 5 BE USED TO HELP 15426 6 IS EXPECTED TO GROW 12568 7 BE REQUIRED TO PAY 12039 8 ARE DESIGNED TO HELP 12023 9 BE USED TO DETERMINE 11430 10 ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE 11132 11 IS DESIGNED TO GIVE 10279 12 BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE 9633 13 BE USED TO TREAT 8490 14 IS USED TO TREAT 8354 15 BE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE 8257 16 BE ASKED TO PROVIDE 8175 17 IS USED TO MAKE 8145 18 ARE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE 8073 19 IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE 7674 20 BE USED TO IDENTIFY 7644 21 IS USED TO DETERMINE 7428 22 BE USED TO PROVIDE 7341 23 ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE 7181 24 IS DESIGNED TO WORK 6943 25 IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE 6909 26 ARE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE 6879 27 IS EXPECTED TO TAKE 6837 28 ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE 6819 29 ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY 6689 30 IS DESIGNED TO PREPARE 6629 31 IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE 6591 32 IS DESIGNED TO MAKE 6567 33 IS USED TO CREATE 6507 34 ARE INVITED TO ATTEND 6318 35 ARE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT 6258 36 IS USED TO DESCRIBE 6161 37 BE REQUIRED TO TAKE 5943 38 BE USED TO SUPPORT 5909 39 BE USED TO PAY 5888 40 ARE REQUIRED TO PAY 5785 41 IS EXPECTED TO REACH 5710 42 IS DESIGNED TO MEET 5687 43 BE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT 5384 44 IS EXPECTED TO CLOSE 5351 45 BEEN SHOWN TO REDUCE 5339 46 IS ASKED TO CALL 5224 47 IS DESIGNED TO ALLOW 5149 48 ARE USED TO MAKE 5030 49 IS INTENDED TO HELP 5009 50 IS ASKED TO CONTACT 4972 51 BE USED TO IMPROVE 4856 52 IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN 4805 53 IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN 4772 54 IS DESIGNED TO FIT 4696 55 BEEN SHOWN TO INCREASE 4614 56 BE USED TO CONTROL 4590 57 IS DESIGNED TO SUPPORT 4496 58 BE USED TO BUILD 4464 59 ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND 4392 60 IS EXPECTED TO MAKE 4389 61 IS PROJECTED TO GROW 4338 62 ARE DESIGNED TO WORK 4328 63 ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND 4313 64 BE USED TO PURCHASE 4227 65 ARE INVITED TO JOIN 4203 66 IS USED TO HELP 4168 67 ARE ENCOURAGED TO CONTACT 4092 68 BE USED TO GET 4037 69 BE TAKEN TO ENSURE 4033 70 IS SET TO TAKE 4027 71 ARE USED TO CREATE 3990 72 BE USED TO GENERATE 3956 73 BEEN SHOWN TO HELP 3955 74 ARE DESIGNED TO GIVE 3929 75 ARE DESIGNED TO MAKE 3880 76 IS DESIGNED TO ASSIST 3873 77 ARE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE 3866 78 IS SET TO BEGIN 3858 79 BE USED TO REDUCE 3828 80 ARE USED TO TREAT 3804 81 IS REQUIRED TO MAKE 3788 82 ARE DESIGNED TO FIT 3765 83 ARE ENCOURAGED TO USE 3759 84 BE USED TO ADD 3751 85 IS DESIGNED TO PROTECT 3729 86 IS RECOMMENDED TO USE 3710 87 ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND 3705 88 BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE 3702 89 IS EXPECTED TO RISE 3681 90 BE PROMPTED TO ENTER 3673 91 ARE REQUIRED TO MAKE 3633 92 BE USED TO DESCRIBE 3623 93 ARE DESIGNED TO MEET 3621 94 IS BUILT TO LAST 3620 95 BE PREPARED TO PAY 3619 96 IS SET TO OPEN 3608 97 IS USED TO IDENTIFY 3571 98 BE REQUIRED TO WORK 3563 99 WAS ORDERED TO PAY 3556

100 BE REQUIRED TO MAKE 3554

B2 vocabulary:

affect, cause, contribute, ensure, occur, reflect, represent, stimulate