supposed
- 01 B1 Intermediate
v.used to say what someone should do because of a rule, a plan, or an expectation.
v.used in the passive 'be supposed to' to indicate an obligation, a social expectation, or a planned arrangement.
Simple“You are supposed to show your ticket before you get on the train.”
In context“The interns were supposed to submit their weekly reports by Friday afternoon, but several of them missed the deadline due to the server outage.”
UsageAlways used with the verb 'to be' and followed by a 'to' infinitive.
PitfallI am suppose to go now. I am supposed to go now.Even in fast speech, the word must be written with the 'd' at the end because it is a past participle.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.believed to be true by some people, but perhaps not actually true.
adj.held to be true or existing on the basis of report or belief, often with an implication of doubt.
Simple“The supposed expert didn't actually know how to fix the computer.”
In context“The supposed benefits of the new tax policy were heavily debated by economists, many of whom argued the data was misleading.”
UsageUsually placed before the noun it describes.