What is the meaning of this phrase?
Mr. Jones was to have spoken at the meeting, but we had to cancel it because of his illness.
Does this mean:
- He was scheduled to speak at the meeting?
- Someone wanted to speak to him at the meeting?
Learn English – was to have spoken-meaning
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Best Answer
was to have + past participle means something was supposed to happen but didn't.
was to have + past participle is more elegant and more formal:
He was to have spoken but then cancelled.
He was supposed to speak but then cancelled.
I see no other way to explain this except as a style issue.
"I was to have explained the ideas and then couldn't."
If you work for a company or non-profit organization, you will see that used in writing. It is not old fashioned: it is formal.
And yes, would also be common in academic writing, for example.