Seem / appear
- We often use seem and appear to give information without stating that we definitely know it is true.
We can use It seems / appears + that + clause or subject + seen /appear + infinitive
It seems /appears that if you read from a screen you remember less than a physical book
The new employee appears to be really hard worker
- We use It would seem/appear + that + clause to distance ourselves even further from information, making it sound even less sure. This is more formal than it seems/ appears
It would seem / appear that nobody was controlling the spending with these credit cards
It would seem that only certain legal aspects remain to be resolved
Passive form with verbs of saying and reporting
We can use a passive form with verbs of saying and reporting for distancing.
- It + passive verb + that + clause
Verbs commonly used in this pattern are: agree, announce, believe, expect, hope, say, suggest and think
It is said that sea levels will rise up to 200 cm in the 21st century
It is said that using the dishwasher saves water
- Subject + passive verb + to + infinitive
Verbs commonly used in this pattern are: believe, expect, report, say, think and understand
The new vaccine is not expected to be ready before next year
- There can also be used + passive verb + to + infinitive
For the time being, there is said to be little interest from the side of the Haitian government
There are thought to be between 13 and 14 million different species on the planet
Other distancing expressions
We can use other distancing expressions like apparently, according to, may/might
- We use apparently to mean that we have heard / read something, but that it may not be true.
Apparently, they’re getting divorced
- We use according to to specify where information has come from
According to new information published by the WHO the coronavirus is airborne
- We use may /might when something is possible to be true, but we are not sure
Dinosaurs may / might have died out due to a meteorite