We Believe Her To Be

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We Believe Her To Be

In this lesson, you can identify the source and the described participant in an active report.

Created by , British English teacher.

I’m studying:

Try the activities, then check your answers.

Choose a short recording.

Before you start

Attribute a belief without asserting its truth.

See one possible response

The curator believes that the note is genuine.

A fictional gallery is checking the history of a sketch. Its working assessments are not independent proof of the sketch’s date or authorship.

What you will practise
  • Identify the source and the described participant in an active report.
  • Preserve earlier time and passive participant roles in reporting complements.
  • Reformulate a report without changing source, certainty or participant relationships.

Respond before revealing. Preserve participant roles, source limits and register; justify a valid alternative where the context permits it.

Keep the source and the proposition separate

Selected verbs such as believe, consider and know allow a source + verb + object + to-infinitive pattern. In We believe the sketch to be unfinished, the sketch is what is described as unfinished. The belief belongs to us. This is relatively formal and not a pattern available with every reporting verb.

We believe the sketch to be an early study.

The curator considers the frame to be original.

They inspect an unfinished pencil sketch clipped to an easel, gesturing thoughtfully about its incomplete state. The belief belongs to them, with no artist falsely identified or completed drawing.
We believe the sketch to be unfinished.The belief belongs to us; the sketch has the described state.

Locate the infinitive in time

A simple infinitive commonly describes a state at the time of the assessment. A perfect infinitive places the described event earlier. A passive infinitive changes who undergoes the event, not who holds the belief. Preserve those relationships when you paraphrase.

We believe the label to have been replaced.

The conservator believed the artist to have used charcoal.

Choose a clear reporting frame

A finite that-clause is often more natural in conversation. An active object-infinitive report keeps the source prominent; a reporting passive can foreground the subject of the report. Do not remove belief, uncertainty or attribution merely to shorten the sentence. Know and believe do not express the same commitment.

We believe that the sketch was stored elsewhere.

The gallery believes the sketch to have been stored elsewhere.

Retain the source and its belief

Source retained

The museum believes the copy to be recent.

This attributes an assessment to the museum.

Source lost

The copy is recent.

This states the age directly, changing the commitment.

A shorter paraphrase must retain attribution when the original reports a belief.
They examine a display object with a freshly fitted blank label and an older loose label nearby, cautiously inferring an earlier replacement. The label receives the action; do not depict them replacing it in the present.
We believe the label to have been replaced.The label receives the replacement action; the perfect infinitive makes it earlier.

Guided practice

Say or write your answer first. Then compare the meaning and grammar with the model.

1. In The archivist believes the note to be authentic, who holds the belief and what is described?

Compare a model and explanation

The archivist holds the belief; the note is described as authentic.

The object supplies the subject matter of the infinitive, not the source.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

2. Use considers + object + to be: The panel considers that the display is incomplete.

Compare a model and explanation

The panel considers the display to be incomplete.

The panel remains the assessor and the display remains incomplete in its assessment.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

3. Compare believes the artist to work here with believes the artist to have worked here. What changes?

Compare a model and explanation

The second places the work before the present belief; the first normally presents it as current.

The perfect infinitive marks the earlier event relative to the report.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

4. The team believes that the glass was replaced before the sale. Use glass as object.

Compare a model and explanation

The team believes the glass to have been replaced before the sale.

A perfect passive infinitive preserves earlier replacement and affected glass.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

5. Rephrase We consider the allocation to be fair for an ordinary conversation without changing the assessment.

Compare a model and explanation

We consider the allocation fair. / We think the allocation is fair.

The first removes optional to be; the second offers a more conversational reporting frame. Neither proves fairness independently.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

6. Original: The curator believes the mount to be new. Faulty summary: We know the mount is new. Repair the source and commitment.

Compare a model and explanation

The curator believes the mount is new.

Do not replace the curator with we or belief with knowledge.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

7. A learner writes She said the frame to be damaged. Give a natural finite-clause version.

Compare a model and explanation

She said that the frame was damaged.

Say does not generally use this active object-to-infinitive frame. A reporting passive such as is said to is a different construction.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

8. At the inspection, the two reviewers believed a label had been attached earlier. Write an active report and a clear finite-clause alternative.

Compare a model and explanation

The reviewers believed the label to have been attached earlier. / The reviewers believed that the label had been attached earlier.

Both retain the past assessment, its source and the still earlier attachment.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

A short conversation

Listen to the exchange, then take one role. The speaker labels identify roles; do not narrate them.

Open the conversation transcript

Archivist: We believe this print to have been made before the exhibition.

Editor: Is that confirmed by the date on the back?

Archivist: Not yet. We consider the date to be a useful clue, not conclusive proof.

Editor: Then I’ll keep the attribution in the catalogue note.

Listening checks

Listen to each extract, then choose the best answer. These three questions have their own score.

1. Which account preserves the status of the information?
Read the listening transcript

The restoration team believes the canvas to have been moved before the room was repainted. The inventory has not yet confirmed this.

2. When was living abroad placed relative to the belief?
Read the listening transcript

At the first inspection, the curator believed the artist to be living abroad. A later letter showed a local address.

3. What is being judged clear enough?
Read the listening transcript

We consider the reproduction to be clear enough for the leaflet. That is our editorial judgement, not a claim about the original image’s quality.

Answer key with explanations

  1. Which account preserves the status of the information?

    The team holds an unconfirmed belief about an earlier move.: Both the reporting verb and the inventory caveat support this.

    Compare all choices
    • The inventory proves the canvas was moved.: The stimulus explicitly says it has not confirmed the move.
    • The team holds an unconfirmed belief about an earlier move.: Both the reporting verb and the inventory caveat support this.
    • The team intends to move the canvas next week.: The perfect infinitive describes an earlier event, not an intention.

  2. When was living abroad placed relative to the belief?

    At the time of the first inspection, in the curator’s assessment.: The simple progressive infinitive is simultaneous with that past assessment.

    Compare all choices
    • As a definite move planned for after the letter.: The sentence reports a past assessment of residence, not a guaranteed future move.
    • As necessarily completed before the first inspection.: To be living places the state at the assessment time; it does not mark a completed earlier residence.
    • At the time of the first inspection, in the curator’s assessment.: The simple progressive infinitive is simultaneous with that past assessment.

  3. What is being judged clear enough?

    The reproduction.: It is the object described by to be clear enough.

    Compare all choices
    • The reproduction.: It is the object described by to be clear enough.
    • The original image.: The speaker explicitly separates that from the judgement.
    • The editors’ instructions.: No instructions are being evaluated.

Mastery quiz

Choose the best answer for each situation. The score is out of eight.

1. In The researchers believe the annotation to be recent, which pair is correct?
2. Use the requested object-infinitive pattern.
3. The team now believes that a change happened earlier. Choose the matching complement.
4. Someone repaired the backing earlier. Preserve the backing as affected participant.
5. Original: The archivist believes the note to be genuine. Which rewrite retains attribution without increasing certainty?
6. Which statement about the construction is defensible?
7. At that time we believed the sculptor to have worked there. Which ordering is expressed?
8. A public note must preserve the museum’s uncertain assessment of an earlier repair. Choose the reliable version.
Answer key with explanations

  1. In The researchers believe the annotation to be recent, which pair is correct?

    Source: researchers; described item: annotation.: The main subject holds the belief and the object is described.

    Compare all choices
    • Source: researchers; described item: annotation.: The main subject holds the belief and the object is described.
    • Source: annotation; described item: researchers.: This reverses the grammatical roles.
    • Source: an unnamed publisher; described item: annotation.: No publisher is named as source.

  2. Use the requested object-infinitive pattern.

    We consider the estimate to be reasonable.: This is a natural selected-verb pattern.

    Compare all choices
    • We consider to be the estimate reasonable.: The object must precede its infinitival description.
    • We consider the estimate to be reasonable.: This is a natural selected-verb pattern.
    • We said the estimate to be reasonable.: Active say does not normally take this construction.

  3. The team now believes that a change happened earlier. Choose the matching complement.

    The team believes the title to have changed.: The perfect infinitive marks change before the belief.

    Compare all choices
    • The team believes the title to change tomorrow.: Tomorrow makes the event future rather than earlier.
    • The team believes the title changing.: This is not the required object-to-infinitive report.
    • The team believes the title to have changed.: The perfect infinitive marks change before the belief.

  4. Someone repaired the backing earlier. Preserve the backing as affected participant.

    We believe the backing to have been repaired.: The perfect passive retains time and affected participant.

    Compare all choices
    • We believe the backing to have been repaired.: The perfect passive retains time and affected participant.
    • We believe the backing to be repairing.: This does not express completed earlier repair of the backing.
    • We believe the backing to have repaired.: This makes the backing the active repairer rather than the affected item.

  5. Original: The archivist believes the note to be genuine. Which rewrite retains attribution without increasing certainty?

    The archivist believes that the note is genuine.: The same source and belief are retained.

    Compare all choices
    • The note is definitely genuine.: This removes attribution and adds certainty.
    • The archivist believes that the note is genuine.: The same source and belief are retained.
    • Everyone knows the note is genuine.: This invents both a wider source and knowledge.

  6. Which statement about the construction is defensible?

    It is available with selected verbs and often has a formal flavour.: Lexical selection and register matter.

    Compare all choices
    • It always proves the reported proposition true.: A report of belief is not proof.
    • Any reporting verb can use it.: Verbs such as active say do not freely permit it.
    • It is available with selected verbs and often has a formal flavour.: Lexical selection and register matter.

  7. At that time we believed the sculptor to have worked there. Which ordering is expressed?

    The work is earlier than the past belief.: Have worked locates work before believed.

    Compare all choices
    • The work is earlier than the past belief.: Have worked locates work before believed.
    • The belief must be earlier than all the work.: The perfect infinitive does not express that order.
    • The sentence guarantees the sculptor works there now.: Current employment is not asserted.

  8. A public note must preserve the museum’s uncertain assessment of an earlier repair. Choose the reliable version.

    The museum believes that the frame was repaired earlier.: Source, belief and earlier repair remain visible.

    Compare all choices
    • The museum repaired the frame.: This changes the museum from reporting source to repair agent.
    • The museum believes that the frame was repaired earlier.: Source, belief and earlier repair remain visible.
    • The frame was repaired; this has been proved.: Proof is invented.

Use it in your own words

Identify the roles

Invent a cautious assessment of a fictional object. Give an active object-infinitive report, then identify its source and described participant.

Reveal a possible response

The curator believes the bowl to be locally made. The curator is the source; the bowl is the item being described.

  • I separate assessor and assessed item.
  • I use a verb that permits the pattern.

Use believe or consider. The statement is a fictional assessment, not a real-world authentication.

Change the register

Report an earlier event in a formal sentence, then explain it conversationally without losing attribution.

Reveal a possible response

We believe the programme to have been printed before the change. In other words, we think it was printed before the change.

  • The earlier event remains earlier.
  • Both versions retain the reporting source and uncertainty.

Use a perfect infinitive, then a finite clause; valid tense choices depend on your timeline.

Put it all together

A fictional audio archive suspects a recording was edited before donation. The timing is not confirmed. Give a short professional update and a plainer explanation for a visitor.

Reveal a possible response

The archive believes the recording to have been edited before donation, but the date remains unconfirmed. Put simply, the archive thinks someone edited it earlier; we do not yet have proof of when.

  • I preserve the source.
  • I distinguish belief from confirmation.
  • I keep the recording as the affected item and the editing earlier.

Transfer to the audio-archive case. Do not invent an editor’s identity or treat the assessment as a proven fact.

Take it with you

Selected reporting verbs can take an object and infinitive. Preserve the actor, relative time and source. A belief is not independent verification of its content.