What tense is this? “to be + to verb”
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For example, "If we are to achieve our objectives..." or "What is to be done?"
What tense is this? In my understanding, we're talking about the future, but it's a weird sort of "tense" I haven't studied before.
tenses be
asked Nov 15 at 18:25
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For example, "If we are to achieve our objectives..." or "What is to be done?"
What tense is this? In my understanding, we're talking about the future, but it's a weird sort of "tense" I haven't studied before.
tenses be
asked Nov 15 at 18:25
Renoized
3613
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 7 mins ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
I'm not sure your two examples are "the same" usage. You could make the first the same as the second by recasting to If our objectives are to be achieved (passive, loses the "subject" we), or make the second equivalent to the first with What are we to do? (active verb form, with subject/verb reversal because it's a question).
– FumbleFingers
Nov 15 at 18:34
1
"Are" and "is" are present tense verb-forms so the sentences are present tense. "To achieve our objectives" and "to be done" are both non-finite clauses i.e. tenseless. The are functioning as catenative complements of "be" and have no bearing on the tense.
– BillJ
Nov 15 at 18:37
@BillJ: Or (had past circumstances been otherwise) - What would have been to be done? Which I'm sure you could "deconstruct", but my eyes just start to glaze over.
– FumbleFingers
Nov 15 at 18:41
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
favorite
up vote
0
down vote
favorite
For example, "If we are to achieve our objectives..." or "What is to be done?"
What tense is this? In my understanding, we're talking about the future, but it's a weird sort of "tense" I haven't studied before.
tenses be
asked Nov 15 at 18:25
Renoized
3613
For example, "If we are to achieve our objectives..." or "What is to be done?"
What tense is this? In my understanding, we're talking about the future, but it's a weird sort of "tense" I haven't studied before.
tenses be
tenses be
asked Nov 15 at 18:25
Renoized
3613
asked Nov 15 at 18:25
Renoized
3613
asked Nov 15 at 18:25
Renoized
3613
asked Nov 15 at 18:25
Renoized
3613
asked Nov 15 at 18:25
Renoized
3613
3613
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 7 mins ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
bumped to the homepage by Community♦ 7 mins ago
This question has answers that may be good or bad; the system has marked it active so that they can be reviewed.
I'm not sure your two examples are "the same" usage. You could make the first the same as the second by recasting to If our objectives are to be achieved (passive, loses the "subject" we), or make the second equivalent to the first with What are we to do? (active verb form, with subject/verb reversal because it's a question).
– FumbleFingers
Nov 15 at 18:34
1
"Are" and "is" are present tense verb-forms so the sentences are present tense. "To achieve our objectives" and "to be done" are both non-finite clauses i.e. tenseless. The are functioning as catenative complements of "be" and have no bearing on the tense.
– BillJ
Nov 15 at 18:37
@BillJ: Or (had past circumstances been otherwise) - What would have been to be done? Which I'm sure you could "deconstruct", but my eyes just start to glaze over.
– FumbleFingers
Nov 15 at 18:41
add a comment |
I'm not sure your two examples are "the same" usage. You could make the first the same as the second by recasting to If our objectives are to be achieved (passive, loses the "subject" we), or make the second equivalent to the first with What are we to do? (active verb form, with subject/verb reversal because it's a question).
– FumbleFingers
Nov 15 at 18:34
1
"Are" and "is" are present tense verb-forms so the sentences are present tense. "To achieve our objectives" and "to be done" are both non-finite clauses i.e. tenseless. The are functioning as catenative complements of "be" and have no bearing on the tense.
– BillJ
Nov 15 at 18:37
@BillJ: Or (had past circumstances been otherwise) - What would have been to be done? Which I'm sure you could "deconstruct", but my eyes just start to glaze over.
– FumbleFingers
Nov 15 at 18:41
I'm not sure your two examples are "the same" usage. You could make the first the same as the second by recasting to If our objectives are to be achieved (passive, loses the "subject" we), or make the second equivalent to the first with What are we to do? (active verb form, with subject/verb reversal because it's a question).
– FumbleFingers
Nov 15 at 18:34
I'm not sure your two examples are "the same" usage. You could make the first the same as the second by recasting to If our objectives are to be achieved (passive, loses the "subject" we), or make the second equivalent to the first with What are we to do? (active verb form, with subject/verb reversal because it's a question).
– FumbleFingers
Nov 15 at 18:34
1
1
"Are" and "is" are present tense verb-forms so the sentences are present tense. "To achieve our objectives" and "to be done" are both non-finite clauses i.e. tenseless. The are functioning as catenative complements of "be" and have no bearing on the tense.
– BillJ
Nov 15 at 18:37
"Are" and "is" are present tense verb-forms so the sentences are present tense. "To achieve our objectives" and "to be done" are both non-finite clauses i.e. tenseless. The are functioning as catenative complements of "be" and have no bearing on the tense.
– BillJ
Nov 15 at 18:37
@BillJ: Or (had past circumstances been otherwise) - What would have been to be done? Which I'm sure you could "deconstruct", but my eyes just start to glaze over.
– FumbleFingers
Nov 15 at 18:41
@BillJ: Or (had past circumstances been otherwise) - What would have been to be done? Which I'm sure you could "deconstruct", but my eyes just start to glaze over.
– FumbleFingers
Nov 15 at 18:41
add a comment |
1 Answer
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'To be to' is one of the modal verbs. It has the meaning of obligation.
The verb 'to be' is in the Present Simple, though its modal meaning has future reference.
answered Nov 15 at 18:35
user307254
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'To be to' is one of the modal verbs. It has the meaning of obligation.
The verb 'to be' is in the Present Simple, though its modal meaning has future reference.
answered Nov 15 at 18:35
user307254
1,314110
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
'To be to' is one of the modal verbs. It has the meaning of obligation.
The verb 'to be' is in the Present Simple, though its modal meaning has future reference.
answered Nov 15 at 18:35
user307254
1,314110
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
'To be to' is one of the modal verbs. It has the meaning of obligation.
The verb 'to be' is in the Present Simple, though its modal meaning has future reference.
answered Nov 15 at 18:35
user307254
1,314110
'To be to' is one of the modal verbs. It has the meaning of obligation.
The verb 'to be' is in the Present Simple, though its modal meaning has future reference.
answered Nov 15 at 18:35
user307254
1,314110
edited Nov 16 at 4:03
answered Nov 15 at 18:35
user307254
1,314110
answered Nov 15 at 18:35
user307254
1,314110
answered Nov 15 at 18:35
user307254
1,314110
1,314110
add a comment |
add a comment |
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I'm not sure your two examples are "the same" usage. You could make the first the same as the second by recasting to If our objectives are to be achieved (passive, loses the "subject" we), or make the second equivalent to the first with What are we to do? (active verb form, with subject/verb reversal because it's a question).
– FumbleFingers
Nov 15 at 18:34
1
"Are" and "is" are present tense verb-forms so the sentences are present tense. "To achieve our objectives" and "to be done" are both non-finite clauses i.e. tenseless. The are functioning as catenative complements of "be" and have no bearing on the tense.
– BillJ
Nov 15 at 18:37
@BillJ: Or (had past circumstances been otherwise) - What would have been to be done? Which I'm sure you could "deconstruct", but my eyes just start to glaze over.
– FumbleFingers
Nov 15 at 18:41