Necessity, obligation due to a previous plan or arrangement

We are to meet at 6.

When is he to arrive?

Note. The perfect infinitive after to be (to) denotes an unfulfilled plan:

We were to have played golf yesterday, but it started raining heavily.

Orders or instructions

You are to tell us everything in detail!

You are to take this medicine three times a day.

Prohibition

You are not to go out today!

Something unavoidable, destined to happen

They were never to meet again.

Possibility due to circumstances (only with the passive infinitive)

They were often to be seen together.

Nothing was to be done in that situation.

6.7.6. in questions to be (to) may be used in a weakened lexical meaning

What is to become of her?

Note. To be to blame is a set phrase.

I am not to blame for his absence!

Exercises

Exercise 30. Analyse the meanings of the verb to be (to). Translate the sentences into Russian.

1. Tonight, at 6 p.m., inmate Rivera – 999102 – is to be executed by lethal injection. (D.T.) 2. Some two months ago, I was most happy to learn that Sir James was to visit Darlington Hall. (K.I.) 3. … as far as long-distance motoring is concerned, I am something of a novice, and such simple oversights are only to be expected. (K.I.) 4. A taxi would be costly, but if she was to get to the airport by 11.00 p.m., it was probably the only means. (A.H.) 5. … who had carried out the atrocities. The answer was "the SS" – but the SS were nowhere to be found. (F.F.) 6. The Trans America commissary had a standing order: if a newspaper front page featured an air disaster, the newspapers were not to go abroad, but were thrown away. (A.H.) 7. Frank went to answer the telephone. He came back at once. "It's your daughter, they want to know if they are to keep dinner back." (D.M.) 8. The Boeing 707-N-731-TA which was to have flown to the West Coast and back before its flight to Rome, was taken out of service. (A.H.) 9. … he taxied the aeroplane directly to gate forty-seven of the terminal, where it was to load. (A.H.) 10. "How would you like to help me…?" "I'd love to. What am I to do?" (E.Q.) 11. The age we are now to consider far surpasses any previous period in the number and greatness of its authors. (F.A.L.) 12. … the monks and friars taught the boys Latin from the very few books which were then to be had. (F.A.L.) 13. … the Queen gives each an adventure, with the promise that he who shall perform the bravest deed is to be the husband of the beautiful lady. (F.A.L.) 14. You are not to come in here; this room is private. (C.E.Eckersley) 15. "Did he seem quite as usual?" with a slight hint of irony, Philip replied: "He showed no foreknowledge that he was to be murdered that day." (A.Chr.) 16. But she had now receded from the scene, having given me no indication of how to proceed. Was I to approach Philip Leonides as a young man anxious to marry his daughter…? (A.Chr.) 17. The rest of her cal was about arrangements. Bob and Pete were to catch the 6 p.m. jet flight… (A.Hit.) 18. My godmother had left Mrs. Rachael all the little property she possessed; and there was to be a sale. (Ch.D.) 19. For the streets were so full of dense brown smoke that scarcely anything was to be seen. (Ch.D.) 20. We were to pass the night, Mr. Kenge told us when we arrived in his room, at Mrs. Jellyby's. (Ch.D.)

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