We're Supposed to Meet at Nine
Explora cómo “be supposed to” expresa planes, reglas y expectativas en el trabajo, y qué puede implicar cuando los planes cambian.
Preview
Questions with solutions-
1. Elige la respuesta correcta.
¿Qué quiere decir Alex con lo de las nueve?
Alex: “We're supposed to meet at nine. I'll be there a few minutes early.”
- It is the arranged meeting time.
- It is the time Alex hopes to leave.
- It is the earliest time Alex can arrive.
Alex distingue entre la hora de la reunión y su propia hora de llegada.
Show solution
- It is the arranged meeting time.
“Be supposed to” puede describir un acuerdo que se espera que las personas cumplan.
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2. Completa el espacio en blanco.
The two visiting trainers ___ supposed to join our morning briefing.
- is
- are
- be
El sujeto se refiere a dos personas.
Show solution
The two visiting trainers are supposed to join our morning briefing.
Usa “are supposed to” con sujetos plurales como “the trainers”, “we” y “they”.
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3. Completa el espacio en blanco.
Before the client arrives, reception is supposed ___ a visitor badge.
- preparing
- prepare
- to prepare
Observa la estructura verbal después de “supposed”.
Show solution
Before the client arrives, reception is supposed to prepare a visitor badge.
La estructura es “be supposed to” seguida de la forma base de un verbo: “to prepare”, no “preparing”.
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4. Elige la respuesta correcta.
¿Qué significa este mensaje del lugar de trabajo?
You're not supposed to share the building access code with visitors.
- You do not need to share the code, but you may.
- Sharing the code with visitors is against the rules.
- You cannot share the code because you do not know it.
¿El mensaje trata de una regla, una elección o una capacidad?
Show solution
- Sharing the code with visitors is against the rules.
“Not supposed to” a menudo significa que algo no está permitido. No significa “don't have to”.
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5. Elige la respuesta correcta.
¿Qué intenta aclarar el hablante?
Am I supposed to brief the client, or will Sam do it?
- Whether the client has requested a shorter briefing.
- Whether Sam has already finished the briefing.
- Who is expected to give the briefing.
El hablante presenta a dos personas como posibles responsables de la misma tarea.
Show solution
- Who is expected to give the briefing.
“Am I supposed to…?” es útil para confirmar cuál es tu responsabilidad cuando una tarea asignada no está clara.
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6. Elige la respuesta correcta.
¿Qué nos dice esta afirmación?
At my old company, we were supposed to lock our screens whenever we stepped away.
- Locking the screen was a workplace expectation.
- Every employee always followed the screen-locking rule.
- Employees were unable to lock their screens.
Separa la regla de lo que las personas realmente hicieron.
Show solution
- Locking the screen was a workplace expectation.
“Were supposed to” describe una expectativa pasada. Por sí sola, esta expresión no nos dice si las personas la cumplieron.
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7. Elige la respuesta correcta.
¿Qué describe “is supposed to prevent” aquí?
This shared calendar is supposed to prevent double-bookings, but people still need to enter their appointments.
- A guarantee that appointments will never overlap.
- The calendar's intended purpose.
- Proof that everyone is using the calendar correctly.
Piensa en para qué está diseñado el calendario.
Show solution
- The calendar's intended purpose.
Cuando se habla de herramientas o sistemas, “be supposed to” puede describir una función prevista en lugar de un resultado garantizado.
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8. Elige la respuesta correcta.
¿Qué está expresando el autor?
The new headset is supposed to block background noise, according to the supplier. I haven't tried it yet.
- A personal recommendation based on testing.
- A workplace rule requiring everyone to wear the headset.
- A claim about performance that the writer has not checked.
¿Quién proporcionó la información y el autor la ha comprobado?
Show solution
- A claim about performance that the writer has not checked.
Aquí, “is supposed to” transmite lo que el autor ha oído, sin descartar la posibilidad de que haya dudas.
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9. Completa el espacio en blanco.
Un compañero de trabajo le está recordando al equipo una regla ya establecida.
“___ we supposed to get approval before sharing these figures?”
“Yes—let's ask our manager first.”- Aren't
- Don't
- Haven't
La pregunta necesita una forma de “be”, no de “do” ni de “have”.
Show solution
“Aren't we supposed to get approval before sharing these figures?”
“Yes—let's ask our manager first.”“Aren't we supposed to…?” suele recordarles a las personas una expectativa y las invita a confirmarla.
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10. Elige la respuesta correcta.
¿Por qué el autor usa “was supposed to”?
I was supposed to work from home on Friday, but the client visit has been moved to that day, so I'll be in the office instead.
- To admit breaking a workplace rule last Friday.
- To describe an earlier plan that has now changed.
- To show that Friday's work location is still undecided.
Compara el plan anterior con “I'll be in the office instead.”
Show solution
- To describe an earlier plan that has now changed.
La forma en pasado “was supposed to” puede referirse a un plan anterior, incluso cuando el evento en sí todavía está en el futuro.
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11. Completa el espacio en blanco.
At yesterday's noon check-in, everyone was supposed to have ___ their progress updates already.
- submit
- submitting
- submitted
Después de “have”, esta estructura requiere un participio pasado.
Show solution
At yesterday's noon check-in, everyone was supposed to have submitted their progress updates already.
“Supposed to have submitted” significa que se esperaba que la entrega se hubiera completado antes de la reunión de seguimiento.
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12. Elige la respuesta correcta.
¿Qué está haciendo principalmente el hablante?
You were supposed to let me know before changing the schedule. I had to rearrange two calls when I found out.
- Expressing frustration about a missed expectation.
- Explaining why the schedule cannot be changed.
- Checking whether a future schedule change has been approved.
La segunda oración explica el efecto de no recibir un aviso previo.
Show solution
- Expressing frustration about a missed expectation.
En este contexto, “You were supposed to…” señala una responsabilidad que no se cumplió. Puede sonar crítico incluso sin decir directamente “you were wrong”.