English, baby!

Suppose

Date: Oct 03 2007

Topic: Grammar

Author: rhyme_reason

Lesson

We often use 'suppose' to mean 'imagine' or 'guess'

I suppose you'll be meeting Danielle when you go to Paris?
When you weren't there, I supposed you must have been held up.
I suppose you two know each other?

Notice that 'suppose' is not normally used in the continuous form. We do not usually say 'I am supposing'.

Now I suppose we'll have to do something else.
We're waiting for John and I suppose he must be stuck in traffic.
At this moment I suppose it doesn't matter.

Notice that for 'imagine not' or 'guess not' that we make 'suppose' negative, not the other verb.

I don't suppose you know where Mary is?
I don't suppose he'll do anything.
I don't suppose you have a Nokia phone charger here?

When responding to an idea with 'suppose', you can use 'so' to avoid repeating the idea that has already been expressed.

Is Susan coming to this meeting? ~ -I suppose so.

'Supposed to be' can be used to mean 'it is said/believed'.

The new James Bond movie is supposed to be excellent.
He is supposed to have been rude to Mark but I don't believe it.
It is supposed to be the best restaurant in town.

'Supposed to be' can also be used to talk about what is arranged, intended or expected. It is a bit like 'should'.

I'm supposed to get to work by 8.
John is supposed to turn off all the lights when he leaves.
I'm supposed to pay my rent on the first of the month.

Often there is a suggestion that the action 'supposed to' happen does not actually happen

I'm supposed to be there before 8 but I'm often late.
You were supposed to phone me.
I'm supposed to be getting on a plane to Tokyo at this very minute.

'Not supposed to' often suggest that something is not allowed or prohibited.

You're not supposed to smoke in here.
I'm not supposed to tell you.
We're not supposed to use the Internet for personal reasons at work.

'Suppose' can also be used as a conjunction to mean 'what if'. Notice that the verb which follows it is sometimes, but not always, put 'more in the past'.

Suppose we take the earlier train to Munich? It would give us more time there. ~ Suppose we took the plane instead? That would give us even more time.
There's nobody in reception to let our visitors in. ~ Suppose I sit there until somebody comes?
I'm going to ask him for a pay increase. ~ Suppose he said 'no'? What would you do?

Comments

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yasmeen039

Saudi Arabia

i liked it . thanx a lot .

wlhtzxw

China

very good

Haneeen

Saudi Arabia

I REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT THANKS

the $60 billiom man

Saudi Arabia

it`s great

thank you very much

Sarinity

Germany

thx alot very interesting

ne_mobliez_pas

Ukraine

excellent
thanks

ne_mobliez_pas

Ukraine

thank you a lot

it is interesting, useful (for me especially)

niggaz

Sudan

that's real um ,

seren sunshine

Turkey

thanks

Bibiii

Panama

Absolutelly great!!! Rhyme reason you are a great and superb professor…the way you teach your lessons is unique and very individualized…i would try to convince you to write a book specialized in issues like you are showing here….

I demand that you write more and more and more lesson for our own good….

thanks friend from the beautiful country of Panama in Central America

merwenoor

Turkey

thank you, i have just learned it.

Pfeifisco

Hungary

good lesson:) thank a lot

Dafi

Malaysia

this lesson so cool,very help to me thank you..

Lian.Hanjin

China

Notice that for 'imagine not' or 'guess not' that we make 'suppose' negative, not the other verb.
I don't suppose you know where Mary is?
I don't suppose he'll do anything.
I don't suppose you have a Nokia phone charger here?

'Be supposed to Do' can also be used to talk about what is arranged, intended or expected. It is a bit like 'should'.
I'm supposed to get to work by 8.
John is supposed to turn off all the lights when he leaves.
I'm supposed to pay my rent on the first of the month.

prohibit

Definition:

(v.) forbid; stop from doing something; restrict
Examples:

Motorized vehicles are prohibited from entering the park.

freaked out

Definition:

(expr.) felt extremely surprised, amazed or confused; became very excited; was overwhelmed; was shocked; felt scared; felt a lot of fear
Examples:

“I freaked out when I saw Michael Jackson in New York. I’ve been a fan for so long. It was so cool to see him in person!”

“Marty totally freaked out yesterday when he found out that he failed the math test. He studied really hard for that test. I feel sorry for him.”

“Would you freak out if you lost your mobile phone? I know I would. I use it so much. I’d be lost without it.”

“That movie we watched yesterday freaked me out. I couldn’t sleep last night because I felt so scared.”

“My brother freaked out when he won the lottery. He needed money really bad to pay for a new car, so when he found out he won $50,000 he went crazy!”
Definition:

(expr.) got scared, was frightened
Examples:

I freaked out last night when I heard a noise. But it was just my cat!
Definition:

(expr.) scared, frightened
Examples:

I was freaked out last night when I heard a noise. But it was just my cat!

I was freaked out last night when we were at the graveyard. I don’t like being in graveyards at night.

SFV4L