Supposed to or about to

be supposed to/be about to
which one of above-mentioned phrasal verbs is more suitable and formal for stating future plan?
for example " I am supposed to attend a meeting next month" I am about to attend a meeting or conference next month" which one is better ? or is there anything wrong with those sentences?
I have seen these two verbs using in past tense.

Those two sentences have different meanings.

"I'm supposed to go to the meeting" means that I have some kind of obligation to go, it's part of my job duties to attend meetings, I told someone before that I was going to go, other people expect me to go.

"I'm about to" means that I'm going to do something very soon, in fact it's so soon that saying "I'm about to do something next month/next week/tomorrow" sounds too strange. When I say "I'm about to go," it means I'm getting ready to walk out the door within a couple minutes or I'm already on my way out the door. It's immediate and will happen within moments.

(not a teacher, just a language lover)

UM Chakma said:

be supposed to/be about to
which one of above-mentioned phrasal verbs is more suitable and formal for stating future plan?
for example " I am supposed to attend a meeting next month" I am about to attend a meeting or conference next month" which one is better ? or is there anything wrong with those sentences?
I have seen these two verbs using in past tense.

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They do not have the same meaning. "I am supposed to" means that I am required to. "I am about to attend" means that I will attend in the near future.

thanks.then I better use "be about to" according to my letter.

UM Chakma said:

Thanks.Then I'd better use "be about to" according to my letter.

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No. Read FreeToyInside's post carefully.

yes right. according to my situation I should use "be about to". thanks to all.

UM Chakma said:

Yes right. According to my situation I should use "be about to". Thanks to all.

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NO. NO. NO.

Read the post again. It clearly says that "about to" does not go well with "next month". If you say "I am about to go to a meeting ..." it means that the meeting is very soon (perhaps in the next hour, not next month).

Please remember to capitalise the first letter of every sentence.

Then I am wrong. okay! then if the meeting or the conference will be held after two months which ( be supposed to/be about to) would be better? I am still confused.

UM Chakma said:

Then I am wrong. okay! then if the meeting or the conference will be held after two months which ( be supposed to/be about to) would be better? I am still confused.

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I don't know why you want to use either of them.

I am going to a meeting in September.
I am going to a meeting the month after next.
I am going to a meeting in two months' time.

I am writing a certification later. in that I am using that sentence. i.e. "he is supposed/about to attend the conference on December". if I write "he is going to a meeting or conference" is it formal ? is it okay in a letter? I am still confused. please help me.

I got the word after a couple of hours of researching. i.e. intend.

UM Chakma said:

I am writing a certification later. in that I am using that sentence. i.e. "he is supposed/about to attend the conference on December". if I write "he is going to a meeting or conference" is it formal ? is it okay in a letter? I am still confused. please help me.

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First, people don't go to a conference "on December", they go "in December". That said, "going to a meeting" or "going to a conference" is formal enough for anyone.

UM Chakma said:

I got the word after a couple of hours of researching. i.e. intend.

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"I intend to go to a conference in September" is fine but again, it's not necessary. There is still nothing wrong with "I am going to a conference in September".