be said to be sth
fixed phr..fixed phr.. people say or believe that someone or something has a certain quality, even if it is not proven. It is a formal way to report a general opinion.
fixed phr.. a passive construction used for reporting general beliefs or reputations without attributing them to a specific source; functions as a distance-marking evidential.
The old house is said to be haunted.
This specific type of green tea is said to be very good for your heart.
The lost city of Atlantis is said to be located somewhere beneath the Atlantic Ocean, though no physical evidence has ever been found.
often used in news or formal writing to report information that is not personally verified by the writer.
this is a 'personal' passive construction; contrast it with the 'impersonal' passive 'It is said that...' to show how the subject moves to the front of the sentence.
He says to be the best player.He is said to be the best player.this structure requires the passive 'is said' to show that other people are the ones talking about him.