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Maverick88 Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

Are to

"You are to leave this here. Someone will call for it later"

What does the expression "you are to" means here? (I guess "You had better\you should" or smth like this)
What is the general meaning of such expressions (he is to\I am to)?

Thank you very nuchEmotion: smile
  

Top answer

I am to you are to he, she, it is to we are to you are to they are to I was to you were to he, she, it was to ... The forms of "to be" followed by an infinitive are used to express obligation. This construction is just one more shade of meaning in the same class as "must", "have to", "should", "ought to", "be supposed to", "be expected to", the last two mentioned being the closest in meaning (to my ear, at least) to this particular construction.

— CalifJim

  • I am to you are to he, she, it is to we are to you are to they are to I was to you were to he, she, it was to ...
  • The forms of "to be" followed by an infinitive are used to express obligation.
  • This construction is just one more shade of meaning in the same class as "must", "have to", "should", "ought to", "be supposed to", "be expected to", the last two mentioned being the closest in meaning (to my ear, at least) to this particular construction.
  • The force of this type of expression approaches that of the imperative when "you" is the subject.
  • CJ
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3 Answers
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I am to
you are to
he, she, it is to
we are to
you are to
they are to

I was to
you were to
he, she, it was to
...

The forms of "to be" followed by an infinitive are used to express obligation.
This construction is just one more shade of meaning in the same class as "must", "have to", "should", "ought to", "be supposed to", "be expec
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CJ, is this construction used only on the news or newspapers rather than spoken English?
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