ENGLISH
REFERENCE

be supposed to do sth

fixed phr..
B1 Intermediate Oxford

fixed phr.. you use this to talk about what people expect you to do because of a rule, a plan, or a duty.

fixed phr.. a semi-modal construction used to express obligation, expectation, or social convention based on external rules or arrangements.


SIMPLE

I am supposed to finish this report by five.

CONTEXTUAL

You are supposed to take your shoes off before entering the house according to the local custom.

COMPLEX

The new policy was supposed to streamline the application process, but it has instead introduced several layers of unnecessary bureaucracy.

Usage

always used in the passive form with the verb 'to be' and followed by an infinitive.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'should' to show that 'supposed to' often implies an external rule or a plan that might not actually happen.

Pitfall

I suppose to go now.I am supposed to go now.the phrase requires the auxiliary verb 'be' and the past participle 'supposed' to be grammatically correct.

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