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Old 27-Feb-2007, 17:26
askaboutenglish askaboutenglish is offline
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Default Re: be verb versus modal verb

I think that it is more useful to describe the form 'to be' as:

a) A way of expressing future arrangements (although I always teach that this form is very old, and hardly used in speech:

I am to be in Glasgow at 4pm

b) A way of telling a child what they must do:

You are to be in bed by 8
You are not to go and meet your friends this evening

Matt

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