[Grammar] I'm supposed to contact him

[kadioguy]

(In the Toeic listening test)

32. Were you going to get in touch with Mario, or was he going to call you?

(A) I'm supposed to contact him.
(B) It was Mario.
(C) We're going there now.

The given answer is (A).
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However, I am wondering why the tenses in the question and the answer are not consistence.
Could you image a context for it?

Or how about this?
I was supposed to contact him.

What do you think?
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(Audio clip)
https://clyp.it/k44cawmh

 

[Tarheel]

It's clearly about what the person plans to do (future). A is the only choice that makes sense.

It's not about the past, as your sentence suggests.

 

[kadioguy]

It's clearly about what the person plans to do (future). A is the only choice that makes sense.

It's not about the past, as your sentence suggests.

Thank you, Tarheel.

If so, why not say:

Are you going to get in touch with Mario, or is he going to call you?

:-?

 

[Tarheel]

You could say that. In fact, I probably would. (I think the original is what jutfrank calls backshifting.)

 

[tedmc]

A possible scenario could be that the writer was going to contact Mario but could not do so. "He was supposed to contact Mario" is still true and applies.

 

[kadioguy]

A possible scenario could be that the writer was going to contact Mario but could not do so.

Does "could" here mean "be able to"?

 

[Tarheel]

It means it's a possibility.

 

[jutfrank]

The questioner is asking about the past making of the arrangements. That explains the use of past tense.

The answerer, by using the present tense, shows that the arrangement is still 'live'.

 

[kadioguy]

The questioner is asking about the past making of the arrangements. That explains the use of past tense.

The answerer, by using the present tense, shows that the arrangement is still 'live'.

Thank you, jutfrank.

Could you tell me how you decided to use "arrangement" or "arrangements"?

 

[Tarheel]

It seems to me that it should be arrangement both times.

 

[jutfrank]

Thank you, jutfrank.

Could you tell me how you decided to use "arrangement" or "arrangements"?

That was a lack of concentration. There was no conscious decision to use the plural form, and no reason to. I should have used the singular form.