Select the most appropriate word to fill in the blank in the following sentence.
There ____ to be serious flaws in the design.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → were said
The sentence requires an impersonal construction to report a belief or rumor about the flaws.
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Were said (Past Simple Passive) is the correct form for this structure. The impersonal phrase "There is/was/are/were said to be..." is used to report something that people commonly say or believe, without stating who said it.