In today's lesson I'm going to teach you all about, be supposed to.
This phrase is so important because it's so common, and you can start using it too.
I am supposed to go. I am supposed to be going. I was supposed to have gone.
What's the difference and how do we use these? In this lesson I'll give you lots of examples. Can you
also give me some of your examples in the comments below? I'd love to hear from you. My name is Arnel,
let's start. Let's start with the grammatical structure and then we'll go into more detail.
We can do this in two parts. Subject plus be. Here are the be forms you need to remember.
I think you're already familiar with these but I just want to do a little
review. Because in this lesson when I say, be, you know I mean one of these.
Hmm present and future? Yes, for today's phrase we can use the present be form. As in, I am, you are,
etc... To speak about the future. I'll give you lots of examples.
Supposed to plus verb, I mean the base verb. I am supposed to eat. Not eats, ate,
eating. Supposed to go, supposed to want, use the base verb with all subjects.
And this is a really set structure, don't try to change it. We wouldn't say, I am supposing to eat.
And always include the letter D when you're writing. This is confusing because when
you're speaking the D is silent. Supposed to eat, supposed to go, supposed to want. So when you're
writing remember to keep the letter D. But when you're speaking the D is silent. That's English!
Let's continue with should. What this should have to do with today's lesson? Well sometimes
the best way to learn something is by comparing it to something else.
I should exercise more, I want to get healthier. I should clean my room it's a disaster.
We should finish these reports tomorrow, I think we're both too tired now.
Are these the speakers decisions or choices? Or someone else's?
Here, the speaker is making the decisions. She thinks it's best to exercise more. She thinks
it's best to clean her room. She thinks it's best to finish the report tomorrow.
But what if I'm not talking about the speaker's decision? What if someone else is expecting you
to do this? I'm supposed to exercise more, why? Well my doctor told me to do this.
I'm supposed to clean my room before my mom gets home, she told me to do this.
We're supposed to finish our report tomorrow, Suzanne told us to wait until
tomorrow. You can see there's an obligation or an expectation coming from someone else,
an external source. Let's think of a few external sources, what can tell us to do something?
The law, a company, society. Society or cultures. Drivers are not supposed to go over speed.
Notice the position of not for the negative. Male employees are supposed to wear a tie to
work every day. When you go to a wedding you're supposed to bring a gift, people expect this.
Can I just use must or must not here? Yes you can, but how strongly do you want to
express this obligation? Must is stronger than, be supposed to. I mean, when you go
to a wedding you must bring a gift? Really? You must? Does this happen if you don't bring a gift?
No, you're supposed to. And a lot of times when the verb is obvious we can just drop it. You're
supposed to. You know and I know I'm talking about bringing a gift. I want you to watch a little clip.
In this clip the woman is talking about her boss who wanted to fire
her because she didn't like one of his favorite movies.
The only way I could talk him out if it was that I agreed to go and visit the Tunisian Desert. Tunisia?
That's where they filmed the movie, It's supposed to inspire me. Well that doesn't sound so bad...
Okay, first things first. To talk someone out of something means you persuade someone not to do
something. For example, my best friend wanted to get a Medusa tattoo on his back. But, phew!
I talked him out of it, he didn't do it. So this character persuaded her boss not to fire her.
It's supposed to inspire me. Watch her facial expression again... Supposed to inspire me.
Here, it's clear, this is not her decision. This is an external expectation.
So far in this lesson I've spoken about expectations and obligations.
But we can also use be supposed to, when there's an expectation
because we've heard about it. But we don't necessarily have any personal experience.
Is your back still hurting you? You should see Dr Stevens, he's supposed to be the best
chiropractor in town. Do I know Dr Stevens? No, but I've heard this, so I believe it's true.
Have you seen the movie farmer raid? It's supposed to be terrible.
Do I know it's terrible? No, but lots of people have told me it's terrible. So I expect this is true.
Mini review. Should can be used for personal obligations.
I should cook tonight instead of ordering a pizza. Be supposed to can be used for obligations
or expectations coming from someone else. In my apartment we're not supposed to have pets.
I would love a dog, but we're not supposed to have pets. Must is stronger than be supposed to.
For security reasons passengers must not leave their luggage unattended.
Unattended means without a person. So at an airport you can't leave your bags like this...
Unattended. And remember, in English there are lots of ways to use should
and must. I'm just comparing them to, be supposed to, in this lesson.
Finally, be supposed to, can be used when we expect something to be true because we've heard about it.
We should go to the Blue Riviera for dinner, they're supposed to have excellent food.
Let's look at another way to use, be supposed to. And this is where I think be supposed to really
shines. We have an expectation that isn't met. This can cause anger, disappointment, or surprise.
I was supposed to have 10 students in my class this morning, but only three showed up.
Show up means arrive, only three students arrived. I couldn't really do all the activities I had
planned with just three students. Did I expect 10 students? Yes. Did I get 10 students? No.
Imagine a parent. My daughter is 35, she's so old. She's supposed to be married, she's supposed to
have kids by now. Does the parent expect these things? Yes. Is her expectation being met? No.
Why isn't the projector working? We are supposed to give our presentation in five minutes. Notice
how I use are. I use the present be form, even though I'm speaking about the future, perfectly correct.
The examples I've given you kind of have a negative feeling, right? But it doesn't
always have to be negative, um. I was only supposed to have three students in my class
this semester, but eight more students joined unexpectedly! It's not always a negative thing.
The kids are supposed to be sleeping, but I can hear them playing upstairs.
You took the students shopping? You were supposed to be showing them around the city.
My parents are supposed to be arriving on Monday, but I'm not sure if their
flight will be canceled because of all the snowstorms. Supposed to be plus ing.
Can I just use the base verb like earlier?
Yes you can. But when we use the ing form, it's like the present continuous and past continuous.
We're really focusing on the action happening in the moment. Like, I am talking to you. Or an
action that was happening in the past. I won't go into detail about the continuous tenses, but
I do have a full lesson on this topic on my channel and I'll link it down below for you.
Let's take a look at an example from the novel I'm reading called Career of Evil, by Robert Galbraith.
The main character is on her phone in the hospital.
A nurse says to her, you're not supposed to be using that in here. Why is ing used?
Because just like the present continuous, the nurse is focused on the action happening now.
Here's another example from the same book. I've just remembered, I was supposed to be meeting Elin
last night. The character is focusing on the action of meeting, specifically. Is it possible to just use
to use, or, to meet? Yes, but the continuous form emphasizes the action happening in that moment.
Which sentence is more natural?
She's been on her phone all day, she's supposed to work. She's supposed to be working.
The second option. Why? I'm focusing on this action
now. Look at her, she isn't working, but she's supposed to be working.
Common question. What's the difference between be going to, and be supposed to?
We've already looked at be supposed to, we know that for obligations or expectations.
We use be going to for the speaker's intention. Let's compare.
I'm going to go to the party tonight, I'll see you there.
I'm supposed to go to the party tonight, it's my boss's 50th.
Erin was going to clean her apartment before her trip, but she didn't have time.
Erin was supposed to clean her apartment before she moved out,
but she didn't have time.
Sometimes these two phrases can be used interchangeably. Because a lot of times
our intention can become an obligation. Or an expectation can become an intention. For
example, um. I'm so sorry, I was going to send you the contract on Monday. But I got
distracted. I'm so sorry, I was supposed to send you the contract on Monday, but I got distracted.
You know in this situation it's a professional work environment, your intention, your obligation.
Yeah. Here, these two mean the same thing. However, I want to give you one last example so you can
see they're not always interchangeable. Oh my God, I love these chocolates, I'm gonna buy more.
Oh my God, I love these chocolates, I'm supposed to buy more.
The second example doesn't work. If you're the one who loves the chocolates, why would anyone
tell you to buy more? Okay.
Mini review, again. We can use be supposed to when we expect something, but it doesn't happen.
It was supposed to snow last night but it didn't. I guess we can't build our snowman.
We can use be supposed to be, plus ing, like the present or past continuous.
Why are you cleaning? You're supposed to be resting, doctor's orders. Be going to is normally used for
the speaker's intention. I'm going to increase my sales by 50 percent this quarter. And there are lots of
ways we can use be going to in English. But again, I'm just comparing it to be supposed to for today.
Okay, last part for today, I promise. We can make the past sound more formal by using
the first structure instead of the second structure. The one we've been looking at.
Be supposed to have, plus the past participle. The past participle is verb number three. Eat,
ate, eaten. Eaten is the past participle. Talk, talked, talked. Talked is the past participle.
And it's always have, don't change it to has, it's have. For all subjects. Let's compare. Um...
Her graduation was supposed to have been the best day of her life, but she was disappointed.
Her graduation was supposed to be the best day of her life, but she was disappointed.
More formal. Less formal. Less formal and more common.
I was supposed to have been given a vegetarian meal on the flight, but I got meat.
Why do I have two verbs after have? Have, been, given.
This is the passive voice. I have a lesson on the passive voice which I'll link down below for you.
I was supposed to be given a vegetarian meal on the flight, but I got meat.
More formal. Less formal. I want to show you a few real life examples.
Here is an article from Harvard Business Review about the London Airport Heathrow Terminal 5.
It was supposed to have been the moment when British Airways showed the world the future
of travel. Instead, the opening of... and it continues. You can see a past expectation that did not happen.
The word, instead, also helps give you that contrast.
Could the writer have used, it was supposed to be? Yes, but the original version sounds more formal.
Now, I want to show you a different function. Let's look at a headline from countrylife.co.uk
Beavers discovered living on River Avon 400 years after they were supposed to have gone extinct.
And when an animal goes extinct, the species dies. Like the dinosaurs. Dinosaurs are extinct.
Was there an expectation or obligation for beavers to go extinct? No. Sometimes this
structure is used to express what we think happened in the past, but we are not so sure.
This Wikipedia page is talking about the months in the calendar, January and February.
Ianuarius and Februarius were supposed to have been added by Numa Pompilius,
passive voice, the second king of Rome, originally at the end of the year. It is unclear when the
Romans reset the course of the year so that January and February came first. Again, this
wasn't an obligation or expectation, but it's what we think happened in the past. We are not 100 percent sure.
In summary, we can use this structure to make the past more formal. Or, to speak about something we
think happened in the past, but we're not entirely sure. Leave me some examples down
below, I can't wait to make another video for you. Thank you so much for watching. Bye!!!