In its 引用(いんよう) ‘citation’ usage, the 格助詞(かくじょし) (case-marking particle)
と is often used with verbs in the
passive form. Two of these regularly occurring verbs are
考(かんが)えられている ‘to be considered’, and
思(おも)われている ‘to be thought’.
This grammar point is used after a phrase, and translates as ‘it is considered that (A)’, or ‘it is thought that (A)’. It is generally used to highlight a commonly held opinion that most people agree on (not your personal opinion).
-
「最初(さいしょ)はグー」と最初(さいしょ)に言(い)ったの志村(しむら)けんだと考(かんが)えられている。
Shimura Ken is considered to be the first person who said ‘saisho wa gu’. (A phrase said before playing rock, paper, scissors, in Japan)
-
このトンネルは日本(にほん)で一番(いちばん)呪(のろ)われているトンネルだと思(おも)われている。
This tunnel is thought to be one of the most cursed tunnels in Japan.
The primary reason that these constructions are used in their displacement (
passive) form, is to show that the thought itself is not something that is related to the speaker's own opinions.
However, people will often use this form as a way to strengthen their own opinions, in a similar way to how English speakers would say ‘everyone knows that (A)’.