Evidential distance in English C1
Attribute claims with reportedly, according to, appear to and be said to while separating source from certainty.
Recognise the main evidential distance patterns in authentic contexts.
Choose a form that accurately expresses show whether information is observed, reported or inferred and limit the writer’s commitment.
Avoid errors that change time, agency, emphasis or speaker commitment.
Use the structure appropriately in news, research summaries, investigations and responsible professional writing.
What evidential distance communicates
Attribute claims with reportedly, according to, appear to and be said to while separating source from certainty.
The central purpose is to show whether information is observed, reported or inferred and limit the writer’s commitment. A successful choice therefore preserves the proposition while making the intended relationship, viewpoint or degree of commitment visible to the reader.
How the pattern is built
Use this working formula: source marker + proposition | subject + appear/be reported + infinitive. The formula is a decision path: it identifies the trigger, the clause architecture and the element that carries tense or modality.
The model “The device appears to have failed during transport.” shows the complete pattern in context. Rebuild the sentence from meaning to form instead of translating each word independently.
| Choice | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Observed indication | appear/seem + to-infinitive | The device appears to have failed during transport. |
| Attributed report | subject + be reported/said + to-infinitive | The company is reported to be considering a merger. |
| Named source | according to + source | According to the inspection log, the fault began at 03:10. |
Choose by meaning, not by surface similarity
Neighbouring structures may contain similar words but perform different jobs. Compare the three reference patterns and name the intended effect before completing the sentence.
A reliable answer explains both why the chosen form works and why a plausible alternative would change the meaning, time relation, information focus or level of certainty.
| Meaning | Best route |
|---|---|
| a conclusion based on observable signs rather than direct proof | Observed indication |
| a claim attributed to unnamed or external reporting | Attributed report |
| information explicitly assigned to a traceable source | Named source |
Register, discourse and editorial control
This grammar is especially useful in news, research summaries, investigations and responsible professional writing. Its value comes from helping the reader process a relationship efficiently, not from making the sentence sound artificially complex.
After editing, check recoverability, natural word order and consistency with the surrounding paragraph. If the marked structure creates ambiguity, return to a fuller or more neutral clause.