“It is said that…”

Para contar lo que la gente dice, cree o piensa sin decir quién, el inglés tiene dos estructuras: It + be + participio + that + oración, o sujeto + be + participio + to + verbo. Son comunes en noticias, informes y textos formales, y marcan distancia: quien escribe no afirma que sea verdad.

Verbos comunes: say, think, believe, know, consider, expect, report, understand, allege, estimate. Con consider, se puede quitar to be: He is considered (to be) the best player.

💡El “it” de la estructura 1 es un sujeto vacío y no se puede omitir. En español decimos “se dice que…”, sin sujeto, por eso es fácil escribir “Is said that…”. Si quieres mantener “la gente”, usa la activa: People say that…, no “People are said that…”.

En la estructura 2, el infinitivo indica si lo que se cuenta ocurre al mismo tiempo que, antes o después de decirlo o creerlo:

• Coffee is thought to have been brought to Vietnam by the French.

  Se cree que fueron los franceses quienes llevaron el café a Vietnam. (ocurrió hace mucho → to have been V3)

• The singer is reported to be in hospital.

  Según las informaciones, la cantante está en el hospital.

• More than 300 people are known to have attended the meeting.

  Se sabe que más de 300 personas asistieron a la reunión.

is said / is believed = la gente lo dice o lo cree ahora. was said / was believed = la gente lo decía o lo creía antes (quizá ya no). También es posible el present perfect: It has been reported that…

• The Earth was once believed to be flat.

  Antiguamente se creía que la Tierra era plana.

• The ship was thought to have sunk in a storm.

  Se pensaba que el barco se había hundido en una tormenta.

• It has been reported that two people were injured.

  Se ha informado de que dos personas resultaron heridas.

Con there: There is said to be… = It is said that there is… En una conversación informal casi no se usan estas estructuras; se dice They say…, Apparently…, o be supposed to (= dicen que).

• There are thought to be fewer than a hundred of these birds left in the wild.

  Se cree que quedan menos de cien ejemplares de estas aves en libertad.

• That new pho place is supposed to be really good.

  Dicen que el nuevo restaurante de pho está buenísimo. (informal = people say)

• They say the shop on the corner is closing down.

  Dicen que la tienda de la esquina va a cerrar.

💡be supposed to tiene otro significado: “se supone que, según una norma o un plan” (You're supposed to wear a helmet). Mira la lección “Be supposed to / about to / likely to”.

• ✗Is said that the airport will open next year.

  ✓It is said that the airport will open next year.

  Hace falta el sujeto vacío It.

• ✗He is believed to steal the money last year.

  ✓He is believed to have stolen the money last year.

  Ocurrió antes → to have + V3.

• ✗The museum is known being the oldest in the city.

  ✓The museum is known to be the oldest in the city.

  be known / said / thought + to + verbo, no -ing.

• ✗People say him to be very rich.

  ✓He is said to be very rich. / People say that he is very rich.

  say no tiene una estructura activa say + persona + to + verbo.

• ✗The lake says to be very deep.

  ✓The lake is said to be very deep.

  El lago no dice nada → pasiva is said.

• ✗She is said to be won the prize twice.

  ✓She is said to have won the prize twice.

  Una acción pasada, en activa → to have + V3.