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Message board > You are to, She is to, He is to ... do it!
You are to, She is to, He is to ... do it!
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Mr. Maru
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You are to, She is to, He is to ... do it!
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Hello there my beloved colleagues around the world!
I don �t happen to be familiar with the following structure:
You are to do it! (verb be + infinitive )
As far as I know, this is a "MUST" something that NEEDS to be done. However, I don �t know WHAT kind of GRAMMAR TOPIC or STRUCTURE this is!!! I �ve been looking for it on the Internet but I don �t find it.
Would somebody mind helping me with this issue? When to use it? How to use it? and under what TOPIC IT can be used?
Regards!
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30 Nov 2010
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PhilipR
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You �ll find it under �Modal verbs � in grammar books (or Internet sites).
Search for "be to" (with quotes) and modal verbs and you �ll find what you need.
I am to... is indeed similar to I have to, I must, I am supposed to. It expresses expectation, necessity, obligation. It �s more formal and old-fashioned though and rarely used nowadays.
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30 Nov 2010
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magneto
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I �d say it �s a structure of to be, where be has the function of a modal verb, expressing obligation (You are to hand in your papers by Monday - i.e. you have to hand in your papers by Monday), prohibition (You are not to smoke in this room - i.e. you mustn �t smoke in this room) or, followed by a perfect infinitive, sth that was supposed to happen, but didn �t (John was to have competed but he fell ill - i.e. he was going to compete, but he fell ill).
In the case of expressing obligation or prohibition, I �d say it sounds a bit more formal/ official.
...Anyway, that �s the way I �ve taught this structure so far...It �s worked with my students, but they were already advanced and they could understand it through examples and practice. I �m not sure such an explanation would work in all cases.
I hope someone else can give a more enlightening answer...It would be very helpful to me, too.
Edit 1: I see Phillip has already provided an explanation...What�s up, doc? 
Edit 2: Bruce was pretty quick, too!
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30 Nov 2010
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yanogator
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It can also have a slightly milder meaning of "to be expected to".
I understand that I am to send a check before the 15th.
Please let him know if he is to call you with the information.
It �s not very common, as Philip said, and feels somewhat formal.
Bruce |
30 Nov 2010
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Mr. Maru
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Thank you so to all of you!  |
3 Dec 2010
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