"was set to"

[velimir]

Hello everybody,

I'm confused with the different uses of the phrasal verb "set to" , and I have a few questions about it.
I often understand "set to" as "be ready for" but sometimes it sounds to me like "scheduled to" or "planned to" as it is in the following example:

The CEO was set to visit the floor of the stock exchange the next day.

Sometimes I've found it have a meaning similar to " predestined" or "meant to be" as in :

He was meant to become a football player .

Incindentally, does "meant to be" can have both meaning "born to be" and " it was planned but it not happened" ?

Also,is it possible to use "set to" as an active verb phrase (not in a passive meaning)?

Thanks

[Mister Micawber]

.
Yes, also 'scheduled to' (the schedule was set).

I can't think offhand of a reasonable sentence in active voice... perhaps the reflexive: He set himself to scale the cliff blindfolded.
.

[velimir]

Thanks Mr.Micawber a lot, and apologize for asking again, but I've added some additional questions, would you be so kind as to answer it too?

P.S Your nick is really great. David Copperfield is one of my favourite books. And you've chosen a nice character too

Greetings

[Mister Micawber]

.
Hi, velimir.

I can't see clearly except for the question about 'meant to be':

Incindentally, does "meant to be" can have both meaning "born to be" and " it was planned but it not happened" ?

The answer is yes: She was meant to be the next Empress of Japan-- but then a male baby was born.
.

[velimir]

Thanks a lot Mr.Micawber. That question was what I added later, thank you

Greetings

[vil]

Hi Velimir,

Excuse me, but I know two ground idiomatic usages of the express "set to" namely

1. very close to yours - apply oneself, begin, work energetically, as in :
"We set to revamping our policy on child"
or
"We set to studying for the bar exam"

and the another, a bit more strange for me:

begin fighting, as in
"Both of them were furious, and they set to immediately"

Do you know the existence of the "set-to" as a noun? Do you know the meaning as combat, fight, fight, scrap?

V.

[velimir]

Thanks a lot Vil for the answer. I found the definitions in dictionaries but the usage is still blurred to me. I think that there is numerous other usages of set which I am not quite familiar with. As much as I noticed it seems that "set to" is frequently used as a substitute to " be ready to" in passive form. I've noticed that it is also often used when telling that something was scheduled to happen or someone was scheduled to do something. And when looking some standalone sentence, for instance news heading,without reading further text, I am not able to infer does "set to" refer to someone's readiness to do something or someone is engaged and scheduled for something. And it is so with every other phrasal verb in english for me

Best regards Vil

[vil]

Hi Velimir,

I think I'm able to afford the quoting a few new for me sentences with the phrase verb set to, namely:
"We must set to"
"It is getting late, it is time to set to"
"They were all hungry and at once set to"
"To set oneself to"
This sentences are very clear and accomplished in English language as well as in my natural language.

In any way I agree your attitude towards the phrasal verbs in the English language. Sometimes I prefer to translate from China. I wonder, if this complicatedness is as a result of the superman makings of the NES (Native English Speaker) people.

For example, I'm confused from the next expressions:
"my colour mounted"
"the wine went to my head"
"run a temperature"
"twist someone round o's little finger"
"get out of hand"

In my natural language all they are with one root-verb "rise". But this is another subject.

With kind regards.

V.

[velimir]

Thanks Vil ,nice of you to post your discussion.

Greetings