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Study Resource: English raising verbs

By: Isabel McKay

Use these verbs in these types of sentences:

  • Type 1:

    It

    verb

    that...

    It is said that he is tall.

  • Type 2:

    noun

    verb

    infinitive…

    He is said to be tall.

Notes:

  • Some raising verbs can only follow one of the patterns above.

  • Some raising verbs are active (e.g. acknowledge) while others are passive (e.g. is acknowledged).

  • In the table below, the most important raising verbs are given in green.

Verb
Voice
Type 1
OK?
Type 2
OK?
Examples
Notes
acknowledge

passive

It is acknowledged that Johan likes cats.

Johan is acknowledged to be a cat-lover.

In Type 2, the infinitive to be is most common.

admit

passive

It is admitted that Johan likes cats.

Johan is admitted to be a cat-lover.

In Type 2, the infinitive to be is most common.

affirm

passive

It is affirmed that Johan likes cats.

Johan is affirmed to know Marissa.

A very uncommon raising verb, Type 2 is particularly uncommon.

allege

passive

It is alleged that Johan likes cats.

Johan is alleged to be a cat-lover.

In Type 2, the infinitive to be is most common.

appear

active

It appears that Johan likes cats.

Marissa appears to know Johan.

begin

active

It began that Johan liked cats.

Marissa began to like Johan.

cease

active

It ceased that Johan liked cats.

Marissa ceased to be a cat-lover.

In Type 2, the infinitive to be is most natural.

certify

passive

It is certified that Johan likes cats.

Marissa is certified to be a cat-lover.

More common to say: X is certified as a Y or X is a certified Y.

chance

active

It chanced that Johan liked cats.

Marissa chanced to know Johan.

An uncommon raising verb in American English.

come

active

It came that Johan liked cats.

Marissa came to know Johan.

We do not say it came that… but we do say it came about that

commence

active

It commenced that Johan liked cats.

Marissa commenced to like Johan.

An uncommon raising verb.

concede

passive

It is conceded that Johan likes cats.

Marissa is conceded to know Johan.

An uncommon raising verb.

conclude

passive

It was concluded that Johan liked cats.

Marissa was concluded to know Johan.

Type 1 sounds more natural.

confirm

passive

It was confirmed that Johan liked cats.

Marissa was confirmed to be a cat-lover.

continue

active

It continues that Johan likes cats.

Marissa continues to know Johan.

declare

passive

It is declared that Johan likes cats.

Marissa is declared to be a cat-lover.

In Type 2, the infinitive to be is most natural.

decree

passive

It is decreed that Johan will like cats.

Marissa was decreed to be a cat-lover.

In Type 2, the infinitive to be is most natural.

deduce

passive

It was deduced that Johan likes cats.

Marissa was deduced to know Johan.

demonstrate

passive

It was demonstrated that Johan liked cats.

Marissa was demonstrated to know Johan.

Type 1 sounds more natural.

determine

passive

It was determined that Johan liked cats.

Marissa was determined to know Johan.

Type 2 has two meanings: people determined… or Marissa wanted to.

discern

passive

It was discerned that Johan likes cats.

Marissa was discerned to know Johan.

Type 2 may be okay for some speakers, but sounds very unnatural.

disclosed

passive

It was disclosed that Johan likes cats.

Marissa was disclosed to know Johan.

Type 1 sounds more natural.

discover

passive

It was discovered that Johan likes cats.

Marissa was discovered to know Johan.

end up

active

It ended up that Johan liked cats.

Marissa ended up to know Johan.

English speakers may sometimes use Type 2 when speaking quickly.

establish

passive

It was established that Johan likes cats.

Marissa was established to know Johan.

Type 1 sounds more natural.

fail

active

It failed that Johan liked cats.

Marissa failed to meet Johan.

feel

passive

It was felt that Johan liked cats.

Marissa was felt to be inconsiderate.

Type 2 is very uncommon and can sound odd with this verb.

figure

active

It figures that Johan likes cats.

Marissa figures to know Johan.

gather

passive

It was gathered that Johan was a cat-lover.

It was gathered that Johan was a cat-lover.

An uncommon raising verb.

get

active

It got that Johan liked cats.

Marissa got to know Johan.

grant

passive

It is granted that Johan will like cats.

Marissa is granted to know Johan.

A very uncommon raising verb. We usually say: It is taken for granted that…

grow

active

It grew that Johan liked cats.

Marissa grew to know Johan.

We don’t say it grew that… but we can say it grew to be the case that…

guarantee

passive

It is guaranteed that Johan likes cats.

Marissa is guaranteed to know Johan.

guess

passive

It is guessed that Johan likes cats.

Marissa is guessed to know Johan.

happen

active

It happens that Johan likes cats.

Marissa happens to know Johan.

have

active

It has that Johan likes cats.

Marissa has to know Johan.

hold

passive

It is held that Johan likes cats.

Marissa is held to know Johan.

imagine

passive

It is imagined that Johan likes cats.

Marissa is imagined to be a cat-lover.

In Type 2, the infinitive to be is most natural.

include

passive

It was included that Johan likes cats.

Marissa was included to know Johan.

We usually want to know where it was included (it was included in the book).

intuit

passive

It was intuited that Johan liked cats.

Marissa was intuited to know Johan.

Type 1 is much more natural.

judge

passive

It was judged that Johan liked cats.

Marissa was judged to know Johan.

know

passive

It is known that Johan likes cats.

Marissa is known to like Johan.

need

active

It needs that Johan likes cats.

Marissa needs to know Johan.

note

passive

It was noted that Johan liked cats.

Marissa was noted to be a cat-lover.

In Type 2, the infinitive to be is most natural.

posit

passive

It is posited that Johan likes cats.

Marissa is posited to know Johan.

Type 1 sounds more natural.

presume

passive

It is presumed that Johan likes cats.

Marissa is presumed to know Johan.

proceed

active

It proceeded that Johan liked cats.

Marissa proceeded to meet Johan.

Type 1 sounds very old-fashioned.

proclaim

passive

It was proclaimed that Johan liked cats.

Marissa was proclaimed to be a cat-lover.

In Type 2, the infinitive to be is most natural.

promise

active

It promised that Johan liked cats.

Marissa promised to meet Johan.

prove

passive

It was proven that Johan liked cats.

Marissa was proven to know Johan.

reckon

passive

It was reckoned that Johan likes cats.

Marissa was reckoned to know Johan.

Sounds casual and is more common in some dialects than others.

recognize

passive

It was recognized that Johan liked cats.

Marissa was recognized to know Johan.

remember

passive

It was remembered that Johan liked cats.

Marissa was remembered to know Johan.

Type 1 is most natural.

report

passive

It is reported that Johan likes cats.

Marissa is reported to know Johan.

reveal

passive

It was revealed that Johan liked cats.

Marissa was revealed to know Johan.

rule

passive

It was ruled that Johan liked cats.

Marissa was ruled to be a cat-lover.

In Type 2, the infinitive to be is most natural.

say

passive

It is said that Johan likes cats.

Marissa is said to like Johan.

seem

active

It seems that Johan likes cats.

Marissa seems to know Johan.

stand to reason

active

It stands to reason that Johan likes cats.

Johan stands to reason to like cats.

start

active

It started that Johan liked cats.

Marissa started to like Johan.

We can say it started to be the case that…

state

passive

It is stated that Johan likes cats.

Marissa is stated to be a cat-lover.

In Type 2, to be is the most natural infinitive verb.

stipulate

active

It was stipulated that Johan should like cats.

Marissa was stipulated to know Johan.

strike

active

It struck Lucy that Johan liked cats.

Marissa struck Lucy to know Johan.

Strike must be followed by an object before that

suppose

passive

It is supposed that Johan likes cats.

Marissa is supposed to know Johan.

Type 2 has two meanings: Marissa is thought to or Marissa has to.

surmise

passive

It is surmised that Johan likes cats.

Marissa is surmised to be a cat-lover.

Type 1 is more natural.

suspect

passive

It is suspected that Johan likes cats.

Marissa is suspected to be a cat-lover.

We usually say Marissa is suspected of + active participle instead of Type 2.

take

passive

It was taken that Johan is a cat-lover.

Marissa was taken to be a cat-lover.

The infinitive verb must be to be.

tend

active

It tends that Johan likes cats.

Marissa tends to like Johan.

We don’t say It tends that… but we do say It tends to be the case that…

think

passive

It is thought that Johan likes cats.

Marissa is thought to know Johan.

threaten

active

It threatens that Johan will like cats.

Marissa threatens to interrupt Johan.

turn out

active

It turned out that Johan liked cats.

Marissa turned out to know Johan.

understand

passive

It is understood that Johan likes cats.

Marissa is understood to know Johan.

verify

passive

It was verified that Johan liked cats.

Marissa was verified to know Johan.

Type 2 is less common.

were

active

If it were only that Johan liked cats… (then everything would be okay).

If Marissa were to meet Johan… (she would not like him).

Acts as a raising verb only in “if” clauses, sounds very correct and old fashioned to some.

wind up

active

It wound up that Johan liked cats.

Marissa wound up to know Johan.

Instead of Type 2, say wound up + present participle (ex: wound up knowing).

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