It Is Widely Believed That Coffee Changes Lives
Advanced passives — reporting verbs and complex passive structures. After the award, Café Colibri is said to have been offered a major buyout. Leo is reported to have declined without hesitation.
📖 Reading: The Café That Became a Legend
Café Colibri is widely considered to be one of the most community-focused independent cafés in North America.
It is believed to have started as a simple neighbourhood café, though the full story is said to be considerably more complex.
Leo Martínez is reported to have originally come to Canada with little more than his grandmother's coffee knowledge and a determination to build something lasting.
The café is said to have been opened on a shoestring budget. It is widely acknowledged that the early months were extremely difficult.
It has been argued that Café Colibri's success cannot be attributed to any single factor. The community, the design, the coffee, and the timing are all considered to have played a role.
Leo himself was reportedly offered a significant buyout by a large café chain shortly after winning the award. He is said to have declined without hesitation.
"Some things," he is quoted as saying, "are not supposed to become somebody else's brand."
The café is expected to continue growing, though Leo is understood to prefer organic growth over rapid expansion.
It remains to be seen whether a second location will ever open. But it is generally agreed that wherever Leo goes, community tends to follow.
🔑 Vocabulary Box
Eight key words and phrases from this lesson.
| Word | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| attribute to | To explain something as being caused by something else | v. — Success cannot be attributed to one factor. |
| buyout | The purchase of a controlling share in a company | n. — He was offered a significant buyout. |
| organic growth | Growth that happens naturally rather than through acquisition | n. — He prefers organic growth. |
| shoestring budget | A very small amount of money to work with | idiom — It opened on a shoestring budget. |
| acknowledge | To accept or admit the truth of something | v. — It is widely acknowledged the months were difficult. |
| quote | To reproduce someone's exact words | v. — He is quoted as saying… |
| expansion | The process of becoming larger or more extensive | n. — He prefers growth over rapid expansion. |
| investor | A person who puts money into a business expecting profit | n. — It was not the investors who saved her. |
📚 Key Verbs & Structures in This Lesson | |
It is believed/said/reported/claimed that | It is believed that he declined the offer. |
He is said/believed/reported to + infinitive | He is said to have declined without hesitation. |
It is widely considered/acknowledged/agreed | It is widely considered to be a landmark café. |
Double object passive | He was offered a buyout. / She was given an award. |
📚 Grammar Focus
📚 Passive with Reporting Verbs — Impersonal | |
Structure | It + passive reporting verb + that-clause |
Examples | It is believed that... / It has been argued that... / It is said that... |
Common verbs | believe, say, report, claim, allege, consider, acknowledge, understand |
Passive with Reporting Verbs — Personal
📚 Passive with Reporting Verbs — Personal | |
Structure | Subject + passive reporting verb + to + infinitive |
Present | He is said to be brilliant. |
Past | She is believed to have left. |
Perfect | They are reported to have declined the offer. |
Other Advanced Passives
📚 Other Advanced Passives | |
Double object | She was given an award. / He was offered a position. |
Passive infinitive | The café is expected to expand. |
Passive gerund | Being offered the award surprised him. |
Remain to be + pp | It remains to be seen whether a second location will open. |
🎭 Dialogue: Have You Heard?
Omar and Maya trade what they've heard about Leo's buyout offer — every sentence is hedged through advanced passive structures.
Is it true Leo was offered a buyout by a café chain?
It's been reported. He is said to have turned it down immediately.
He was offered a lot of money, apparently.
He is quoted as saying: "Some things aren't supposed to become someone else's brand."
It's widely considered to be one of the best decisions he's made.
It remains to be seen whether he'll open a second location.
He is understood to prefer organic growth.
Which means: when it feels right. Not when the numbers say so.
Practice Exercises
3 questionsNew exercises to reinforce what you learned. Different from the lesson material.
How is Café Colibri widely described?
What was Leo reportedly offered after the award?
What did Leo reportedly say about his café becoming a brand?
Practice Exercises
3 questionsNew exercises to reinforce what you learned. Different from the lesson material.
Rewrite as impersonal passive: 'People believe that he is the best barista in the city.'
Rewrite as impersonal passive: 'Reports say that the café turned down a buyout offer.'
Rewrite as impersonal passive: 'Most people consider Toronto to be a city of opportunity.'
🎭 Now It's Your Turn — Role Play
Practice with a partner. Use the dialogue as a model and extend it.
- Write a short "rumour report" about a fictional or real person or place. Use only passive reporting structures — no direct claims.
- Student A reads it to Student B.
- Student B must identify: What is claimed? Who by? Is this a strong or weak claim?
- Include: is said to / is believed to / it has been reported that / is widely considered / is quoted as saying.