Expressing past beliefs and opinions in English becomes much more natural when you use passive voice structures with it was thought, it was believed, it was expected, and it was considered. These forms allow you to communicate ideas without specifying who held those beliefs, which is extremely useful in academic writing, storytelling, and everyday conversation.
Why use passive voice for past beliefs and opinions?
In many situations, we either don't know or don't need to specify who held a particular belief or opinion. Instead of saying "They believed that the Earth was flat," we can simply say "It was believed that the Earth was flat" [1:22]. The focus shifts from the people who believed it to the belief itself.
This structure follows a clear pattern:
- It was + past participle + that + clause.
- The subject it replaces the vague they from active voice.
- The past participle changes depending on the verb: thought, believed, expected, considered.
This approach is called impersonal passive, and it is widely used when the agent (the person performing the action) is unknown, irrelevant, or too general to mention.
What verbs work best with this structure?
How does it was thought work?
The verb thought expresses a general assumption or idea people had in the past. For example: "It was thought that he was an immigrant originally from Mexico" [0:47]. In active voice, this would be "They thought that he was an immigrant from Mexico," but we remove they because we don't want to specify who exactly held that thought.
How does it was believed differ from it was considered?
- It was believed communicates a stronger conviction or widely held idea. "It was believed that the Earth was flat" [1:22] refers to a belief shared by many people over a long period.
- It was considered implies a judgment or evaluation. "When my mom was growing up, it was considered that people who had tattoos were criminals" [2:01]. Here, society made a judgment about people with tattoos.
Both forms remove the need to say who specifically believed or considered something.
When should you use it was expected?
This form expresses expectations or obligations from the past. "In my family, it was expected that we graduate college" [1:40] is the passive version of "In my family, they expected us to graduate college." The emphasis falls on the expectation itself rather than on specific family members who held it.
How can you practice converting active to passive voice?
Transforming sentences from active to passive voice is the best way to internalize this structure. Here are some examples covered in the lesson:
- Active: "They expected me to be perfect." Passive: "It was expected that I be perfect" [2:38].
- Active: "They thought that he was going to be President." Passive: "It was thought that he was going to be President" [2:56].
- Active: "They considered that the education system had no more money." Passive: "It was considered that the education system had no more money" [3:16].
- Active: "They believed that she could make a difference." Passive: "It was believed that she could make a difference" [3:35].
Notice how every transformation follows the same pattern: replace the vague they subject with it was, add the past participle of the verb, and keep the that clause intact.
A helpful tip: use this structure whenever the identity of the subject is irrelevant, unknown, or too broad to pin down. It makes your English sound more polished and is especially common in formal writing, news reports, and historical descriptions.
Try writing three sentences about past beliefs from your own culture or family using it was thought, it was believed, or it was expected. Share them in the comments and practice this powerful structure.
