Complex Subject в английском языке: правила, конструкции и примеры

Complex Subject — традиционное название конструкции, где подлежащее связано с infinitive через глагол сообщения, мнения, впечатления или вероятности.

В англоязычных грамматиках такие модели чаще рассматривают отдельно: passive reporting structures, subject + seem/appear + infinitive, be likely to и другие patterns.

Обычная конструкция

People say that he is rich.

Говорят, что он богат.

Complex Subject

He is said to be rich.

Говорят, что он богат.

Зачем нужен Complex Subject

Он позволяет сделать человека, предмет или явление темой предложения и не называть неопределённых people, they, experts и т. п. Особенно часто такая модель встречается в письменной, новостной и формальной речи.

Основная структура Complex Subject

Reporting structure subject + passive reporting verb + to-infinitive He is said to be... · She is believed to have... · They are expected to...

He is said to be very wealthy.
She is believed to live abroad.
The company is expected to announce the results tomorrow.
The painting is thought to have been stolen in 1998.

Какие reporting verbs используются

Глагол	Типичный смысл	Пример
say	говорят	He is said to be rich.
believe	считают, верят	She is believed to be abroad.
think	полагают	The plan is thought to be risky.
consider	считают	He is considered to be an expert.
know	известно	She is known to speak five languages.
report	сообщается	Three people are reported to be missing.
expect	ожидается	Prices are expected to rise.
understand	насколько известно	He is understood to have resigned.
suppose	предполагают	It is supposed to be safe.
allege	утверждают	He is alleged to have taken the money.

Не любой reporting verb допускает эту модель

Например, suggest или recommend обычно не строят по модели *He is suggested to...* в значении «говорят/предлагают, что он...». Важно знать pattern конкретного глагола.

Как преобразовать People say that... в Complex Subject

Возьмём:

People say that John is very talented.

Шаг 1. Выбираем subject придаточной части

John.

Шаг 2. Reporting verb переводим в Passive

is said

Шаг 3. Сказуемое придаточного превращаем в infinitive

is → to be

John is said to be very talented.

That-clause	Complex Subject
People think that she lives in Paris.	She is thought to live in Paris.
People believe that he stole the money.	He is believed to have stolen the money.
Experts expect that prices will rise.	Prices are expected to rise.

Форма инфинитива показывает время и характер второго действия

Это ключевой раздел Complex Subject. Сам reporting verb и infinitive выполняют разные функции: первый показывает, когда сообщалось/считается, а infinitive — к какому времени относится само действие.

Infinitive	Смысл	Пример
to do / to be	одновременность или нейтральный факт	He is said to be rich.
to be doing	процесс	He is said to be working abroad.
to have done	действие произошло раньше	He is said to have left.
to have been doing	длительный процесс до точки сообщения	He is said to have been working there for years.
to be done	пассивное действие	The documents are believed to be kept here.
to have been done	прошлое пассивное действие	The painting is thought to have been stolen.

To do / to be: действие одновременно с мнением или сообщением

He is said to be very rich.
She is believed to live in Spain.
The system is thought to work well.
The company is expected to grow next year.

Simple infinitive может описывать текущее состояние, регулярный факт или ожидаемое будущее в зависимости от контекста.

To be doing: действие происходит в процессе

Факт

He is said to work in London.

Говорят, что он работает в Лондоне.

Процесс сейчас

He is said to be working in London.

Говорят, что сейчас он работает в Лондоне.

She is believed to be staying with friends.
The company is reported to be considering a merger.

To have done: действие произошло раньше

Если событие предшествует моменту, к которому относится reporting verb, используется Perfect Infinitive.

to have + V3 is believed to have left

That-clause

People believe that he left yesterday.

Complex Subject

He is believed to have left yesterday.

She is said to have studied at Oxford.
They are thought to have escaped.
He is believed to have lied to investigators.

To have been doing: длительный процесс, начавшийся раньше

Perfect Continuous Infinitive нужен, когда важно показать не просто предшествование, а длительность процесса.

He is said to have been working on the project for years.
They are believed to have been living abroad since 2020.
She is thought to have been waiting for several hours.

Сравните

He is said to have worked there. — говорят, что он там работал.
He is said to have been working there for ten years. — подчёркивается длительность.

Passive infinitive: to be done и to have been done

To be + V3

The documents are believed to be stored here.
The building is said to be protected by law.

To have been + V3

The painting is believed to have been stolen in 1998.
The files are thought to have been deleted.

Выбор между ними снова определяется временем: произошло ли пассивное действие раньше момента сообщения.

Complex Subject с seem и appear

Здесь нет Passive Voice, но структура похожа: subject + verb + infinitive.

He seems to know the answer.
She appears to be upset.
They seem to have forgotten about the meeting.
He appears to be working from home today.

Simple

He seems to be tired.

Perfect

He seems to have been tired yesterday.

Особенно естественна конструкция seem to, которая встречается гораздо чаще, чем многие школьные примеры Complex Subject.

Happen, prove и turn out

Happen to

Означает, что кто-то случайно оказался в определённой ситуации или по совпадению обладает информацией.

I happened to see him yesterday.
Do you happen to know her number?

Prove to

The method proved to be effective.
He proved to be an excellent manager.

Turn out to

The story turned out to be true.
She turned out to have known him for years.

В некоторых учебниках все эти модели объединяют под названием Complex Subject, хотя грамматически они устроены не идентично reporting passive.

Be likely, unlikely, certain и sure + to-infinitive

Be likely to

Prices are likely to rise.
He is likely to win.

Be unlikely to

They are unlikely to agree.
The weather is unlikely to improve.

Be sure / certain to

She's sure to notice.
The plan is certain to cause problems.

Вероятность, а не чужое мнение

В He is likely to come нет значения «говорят, что». Конструкция оценивает вероятность события.

There is thought to be...

Complex Subject возможен и с existential there.

It + that-clause

It is thought that there are several problems.

There + Complex Subject

There are thought to be several problems.

There is believed to be a connection.
There are reported to be several survivors.
There are thought to have been serious errors.

Последний пример использует perfect infinitive, потому что ошибки относятся к прошлому.

Отрицание и вопросы

Отрицание reporting verb

He is not believed to be involved.
The problem isn't thought to be serious.

Seem: два варианта

He doesn't seem to understand.
He seems not to understand.

Первый вариант обычно звучит естественнее в разговорной речи.

Вопросы

Is he believed to be involved?
Does she seem to know the answer?
Is the project likely to succeed?

Где Complex Subject реально используется

Reporting passive особенно характерен для стиля, где источник информации не является центральным.

Новости

Three people are reported to be missing.

Академическая и аналитическая речь

The method is considered to be reliable.

Осторожные утверждения

The substance is believed to have certain properties.

В обычном разговоре человек нередко выберет более простую форму:

Формальнее

He is believed to be abroad.

Разговорнее

People think he's abroad.

Зачем ученику всё равно знать Complex Subject

Даже если вы редко будете сами строить длинные reporting structures, они постоянно встречаются в новостях, статьях, документах и академическом английском.

Частые ошибки

Ошибка

He is said that he is rich.

Правильно

He is said to be rich.

Не то время

He is believed to steal the money yesterday.

Правильно

He is believed to have stolen the money yesterday.

Ошибка

She seems that she knows him.

Правильно

She seems to know him.

Упражнения на Complex Subject

Упражнение 1. Перепишите с Complex Subject

People say that he is very rich.
People believe that she lives in France.
Experts expect that prices will rise.
People think that he left the country yesterday.
They report that three people are missing.

Показать ответы

1. He is said to be very rich.

2. She is believed to live in France.

3. Prices are expected to rise.

4. He is thought to have left the country yesterday.

5. Three people are reported to be missing.

Упражнение 2. Выберите форму infinitive

He is said to work / to be working on a new project right now.
She is believed to leave / to have left yesterday.
The documents are thought to keep / to be kept in a safe.
The painting is believed to steal / to have been stolen in 1990.
He is said to work / to have been working there for ten years.

Показать ответы

1. to be working

2. to have left

3. to be kept

4. to have been stolen

5. to have been working

Упражнение 3. Исправьте ошибки

He is said that he is very talented.
She seems that she knows the answer.
He is believed to left yesterday.
The building is thought to destroyed in the fire.

Показать ответы

1. He is said to be very talented.

2. She seems to know the answer.

3. He is believed to have left yesterday.

4. The building is thought to have been destroyed in the fire.

Частые вопросы

Что такое Complex Subject простыми словами?

Это конструкции типа He is said to be..., He seems to know..., He is likely to come, где subject связан со следующим действием через infinitive.

Как образуется He is said to be?

People say that he is... → reporting verb переводится в Passive, а сказуемое that-clause становится infinitive: He is said to be...

Когда нужен to have done?

Когда действие произошло раньше момента, к которому относится мнение или сообщение: He is believed to have left yesterday.

Чем to do отличается от to be doing?

Simple infinitive показывает факт или обычное действие, continuous infinitive подчёркивает текущий процесс.

Seem to — это Complex Subject?

В русскоязычных учебниках его часто включают в эту тему. В англоязычных грамматиках seem + to-infinitive обычно рассматривается как отдельный verb pattern.

Где чаще используется is said to / is believed to?

В новостях, формальном письме, аналитических и академических текстах, где источник мнения не требуется называть напрямую.

Что важно запомнить

Типичная reporting-модель: subject + passive reporting verb + to-infinitive.
to do / to be — одновременный факт или нейтральное действие.
to be doing — процесс.
to have done — действие произошло раньше.
to have been doing — длительный предыдущий процесс.
to be done / to have been done используются для пассивного значения.
Seem, appear, happen, prove, be likely также образуют конструкции subject + infinitive.
Complex Subject особенно важен для чтения новостей и формальных текстов.