supposed to finish/to have finished it by...

[joham]

You're still working on your essay! It's 2.30 p.m. already and you're (should be: you were) supposed ______(to finish/to have finished) it by noon.

The given answer is 'to have finished'. But I would think 'to finish' is also correct and simpler. Am I right?

Thank you in advance.

 

[5jj]

You're still working on your essay! It's 2.30 p.m. already and you're (should be: you were) supposed ______(to finish/to have finished) it by noon.

The given answer is 'to have finished'. But I would think 'to finish' is also correct and simpler. Am I right?

Yes. There is a subtle difference, but it's so subtle that few would feel it.

 

[joham]

Some of my friends say that the original test problem with the 'you're ' is correct. What do you think of such an opinion?

You're still working on your essay! It's 2.30 p.m. already and you're (I think it should be: you were) supposed ______(to finish/to have finished) it by noon.

Thank you again.

 

[Coolfootluke]

Some of my friends say that the original test problem with the 'you're ' is correct. What do you think of such an opinion?

You're still working on your essay! It's 2.30 p.m. already and you're (I think it should be: you were) supposed ______(to finish/to have finished) it by noon.

Thank you again.

I am not a teacher.

The grammar would be wrong, but we sometimes let a complex tense do the work for the entire sentence in informal speech. "You are supposed to have finished it ..." works because you still are supposed to have, but what we really mean is that you were supposed to have at the time you didn't, we are just too tired to puzzle all that out on the fly.