It is said that ... / He is supposed to ...

It Is Said That … / He Is Said To …

When we report what people in general say, think, or believe, we can use two structures:

• It is said that + subject + verb
• Subject + is said to + base verb

Both mean the same thing: “People say that …”

The company is very profitable. \ It is said that the company makes over $2 billion a year. \ = The company is said to make over $2 billion a year.

Verbs Used in This Structure

You can use these structures with a number of verbs:

Verb	“It is …” form	Subject + “is … to” form
believe	It is believed that the project is behind schedule.	The project is believed to be behind schedule.
expect	It is expected that the deal will close soon.	The deal is expected to close soon.
report	It is reported that the factory has cut 200 jobs.	The factory is reported to have cut 200 jobs.
think	It is thought that the CEO will resign.	The CEO is thought to be resigning.
allege	It is alleged that the manager took company funds.	The manager is alleged to have taken company funds.
know	It is known that the firm operates in 30 countries.	The firm is known to operate in 30 countries.
consider	It is considered that remote work improves productivity.	Remote work is considered to improve productivity.
understand	It is understood that the merger talks have stalled.	The merger talks are understood to have stalled.

These structures are common in news reports and formal writing. For example, in a report about an incident at a warehouse:

It is reported that two workers were injured in the accident. \ = Two workers are reported to have been injured in the accident.

Past Events: Is Said To Have Done

When the reported event happened before the time of speaking, use is said to have + past participle:

• The company is said to have lost a lot of money last quarter. (= It is said that it lost a lot of money.)
• He is alleged to have stolen confidential files. (= It is alleged that he stole them.)

Supposed To: Same as “Said To”

You can use supposed to in the same way as said to. It means people say or believe something:

• I haven’t tried that restaurant, but it’s supposed to be good. (= people say it’s good)
• The new software is supposed to have been developed in-house. (= people say it was developed in-house)

Supposed To: What Is Planned or Expected

Supposed to has a second meaning. It can describe what is intended, arranged, or expected — and often the reality is different:

• The report is supposed to be confidential, but everyone in the office has read it. (= the report is intended to be confidential)
• What are you doing here? You‘re supposed to be at the client meeting. (= you arranged to be there)
• The delivery was supposed to arrive at 9 a.m., but it came after lunch.
• Karen was supposed to call the supplier yesterday, but she forgot.
• I’d better go. I‘m supposed to be in a training session in ten minutes.

Not Supposed To: Not Allowed or Not Advised

You’re not supposed to do something = it is not allowed or not advised:

• You‘re not supposed to park here. It’s for visitors only.
• Mark is recovering from surgery, but he’s not supposed to lift anything heavy.

Summary Table

Structure	Meaning	Example
It is said / believed / reported that …	People say / believe / report that …	It is reported that the company will relocate.
Subject + is said to + base verb	Same meaning, different word order	The company is reported to be relocating.
Subject + is said to have + past participle	Reported past event	She is believed to have resigned last month.
is supposed to be / do (report)	People say	The hotel is supposed to be excellent.
is supposed to be / do (plan)	Intended / arranged / expected	He’s supposed to be at the branch office today.
not supposed to	Not allowed / not advised	You’re not supposed to use personal email for work.

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