0
Riglos Posted 21 years ago
Grammar
have to/ should/ are supposed to
Hi again!
This sentence was one of the trickiest I encountered:
You _______ show your passport at the frontier if you want to get across.
a) have to b) are supposed to c) should d) are allowed to
Except for c), all others seems possible to me, though I find a) to be the most suitable, as "have to" stands for external obligation and, besides that's the correct one in the answer key.
Now, we use "be + supposed to" to talk about what people are expected to do because of an arrangement, a rule, or a duty:
E.g.: "You're supposed to start work at 8.00 every morning."
Since in the sentence in question we are also talking about a rule, why wouldn't b) be appropriate?
With regard to "should", isn't it also used to talk about obligation and duty? E.g.: "Guests should vacate their rooms by midday."
Why not choose c), then?
I'd really appreciate some clarification.
Thanks a lot!!
Mara.
This sentence was one of the trickiest I encountered:
You _______ show your passport at the frontier if you want to get across.
a) have to b) are supposed to c) should d) are allowed to
Except for c), all others seems possible to me, though I find a) to be the most suitable, as "have to" stands for external obligation and, besides that's the correct one in the answer key.
Now, we use "be + supposed to" to talk about what people are expected to do because of an arrangement, a rule, or a duty:
E.g.: "You're supposed to start work at 8.00 every morning."
Since in the sentence in question we are also talking about a rule, why wouldn't b) be appropriate?
With regard to "should", isn't it also used to talk about obligation and duty? E.g.: "Guests should vacate their rooms by midday."
Why not choose c), then?
I'd really appreciate some clarification.
Thanks a lot!!
Mara.
Top answer
Suppose that the last part of the sentence were missing. You ____ show your passport at the frontier. In that case a) and b) both seem possible to me.
- Suppose that the last part of the sentence were missing.
- You ____ show your passport at the frontier.
- In that case a) and b) both seem possible to me.
- It is the "if you want to get across" that blocks the idea of expectation and stresses the idea of obligation.
- "should" is a much weaker form of obligation, so it might be OK without the final "if" clause, but again only "have to" will work very well with the "if" clause.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
1 Answers
0
Suppose that the last part of the sentence were missing.
You ____ show your passport at the frontier.
In that case a) and b) both seem possible to me.
It is the "if you want to get across" that blocks the idea of expectation and stresses the idea of obligation.
"should" is a much weaker form of obligation, so it might be OK without the final "if" clause,
You ____ show your passport at the frontier.
In that case a) and b) both seem possible to me.
It is the "if you want to get across" that blocks the idea of expectation and stresses the idea of obligation.
"should" is a much weaker form of obligation, so it might be OK without the final "if" clause,
0
Related Questions