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What is Be supposed to in English? Correct usage of Be supposed to in English

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Be supposed to is one of the commonly used grammatical structures in English. So what is Be supposed to in English? What is the usage of Be supposed to in English? Let's explore with PREP below!

I. What is Be supposed to in English?
II. How to use Be supposed to in English
III. Synonymous phrases with Be supposed to in English
IV. Differentiating between Be supposed to and Suppose
V. Exercise on Be supposed to in English
1. 1. Exercise
2. 2. Answer
VI. PREP: Your Bridge to IELTS Success

I. What is Be supposed to in English?

In English, Be supposed to is pronounced as /bɪ səˈpoʊzd t̬ə/. It functions as a phrase and means: to have to; to have a duty or a responsibility to/ to be intended to. For example:

The children are supposed to be at school by 7 a.m.
We were supposed to have gone away this week, but Anna’s ill so we couldn't go.

II. How to use Be supposed to in English

Let's explore how to use Be supposed to in English with PREP below!

	Structure	Meaning	Example
Affirmative sentence	S + be supposed to + V	Someone has the responsibility to do something/ has intentions to do something.	Peter was supposed to go on a trip with his family but he had an unexpected business trip.
Negative sentence	S + be + not supposed to + V	Someone is not allowed to do something.	Lily was not supposed to lie to her father.

III. Synonymous phrases with Be supposed to in English

Let's keep in mind some synonymous phrases with Be supposed to in English in the table below!

Synonymous phrases with Be supposed to in English	Example
Meant to (be/do something)	I was never meant to be a teacher.
Ought to be	In a fair society, opportunities ought to be available to everyone regardless of their background.
Need to be	Before the event, all the decorations need to be set up to create a festive atmosphere.
Should be	In a team, communication should be clear and transparent to ensure smooth collaboration.
Should have been	The project deadline passed, and the report should have been submitted by now; we need to address this delay.

IV. Differentiating between Be supposed to and Suppose

Are Be supposed to and Suppose used in the same way? Let's take a look at the differentiation table below with PREP!

	Be supposed to	Suppose
Meaning	to have to; to have a duty or a responsibility to/ to be intended to	to think that something is likely to be true
Part of speech	Phrase.	Verb, conjunctions
Example	You are supposed to marry Peter!	Do you suppose (that) Wendy will marry Peter?

V. Exercise on Be supposed to in English

To reinforce your knowledge of Be supposed to in English, let's complete the exercise below with PREP!

1. Exercise

Exercise 1: Choose Be supposed to or Suppose to fill in the blanks. Conjugate the verbs if necessary.

I (be supposed to/suppose) finish my thesis by tomorrow.
They (be supposed to/suppose) arrive at the airport by 5 PM.
We (be not supposed to/not suppose) use our phones during the class.
The package (be supposed to/suppose) delivere tomorrow.
Anna (be supposed to/suppose) take the lead in organizing the event.
(be supposed to/suppose) you have two million dollars, what would you do with it?
I (be supposed to/suppose) we could go out for lunch today.
(be supposed to/suppose) it rain, do you have a raincoat?
I (be supposed to/suppose) Peter forget about the meeting.
(be supposed to/suppose) we change our strategy, do you think it would work better?

Exercise 2: Complete the sentences using Be supposed to

I __________ finish my thesis by tomorrow.
They __________ arrive at the airport by 5 PM.
She __________ meet us here at noon.
We __________ submit our reports by the end of the day.
He __________ call me once he gets the news.
The train __________ leave at 8 AM.
The guests __________ bring their own drinks.
You __________ inform the manager if there's an issue.
The movie __________ start at 7 PM.
They __________ finish the project next week.

2. Answer

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

am supposed to finish
are supposed to arrive
are not supposed to use
is supposed to be delivered
is supposed to take
Suppose… had…?
suppose
Suppose… rain…?
suppose
Suppose…change…?

I am supposed to finish my thesis by tomorrow.
They are supposed to arrive at the airport by 5 PM.
She is supposed to meet us here at noon.
We are supposed to submit our reports by the end of the day.
He is supposed to call me once he gets the news.
The train is supposed to leave at 8 AM.
The guests are supposed to bring their own drinks.
You are supposed to inform the manager if there's an issue.
The movie is supposed to start at 7 PM.
They are supposed to finish the project next week.

VI. PREP: Your Bridge to IELTS Success

PREP hopes that through this article, you have gained an understanding of what Be supposed to is, its structure, usage, and a list of synonymous phrases with Be supposed to in English. If you need a bridge to your dreams, PREP’s comprehensive approach will take you there

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Master Tu Pham

Founder/CEO at Prep

Founder of Prep Smart Test Preparation Platform. With over 10 years of experience in teaching and test preparation, Mr. Tú has helped thousands of students achieve high scores in the IELTS exam. In addition, Mr. Tú Phạm is also a consulting expert in British Council programs and a speaker at many leading educational events, programs, and conferences.