My friend asked me about how to refer correctly to the cancellation of a class on Monday. The choices were:
1) We don't supposed to have class on Monday.
This choice was rejected since "don't" doesn't go together with "supposed" – they are in two different tenses.
2) We don't suppose to have class on Monday.
About this choice, even it looks grammatically correct I'm really having droughts about that if it does really pass the mentioned message, therefore I'm not sure if I can reject this choice or not.
3) We are not supposed to have class on Monday.
This is the way that I would choice naturally.
Is the second mentioned choice correct in that context or it is not?
Best Answer
Although the same word is used in both cases, the verb to suppose and the expression to be supposed to do something are two entirely different things. In terms of their meanings, they literally have nothing in common. The first one is a verb, which is used to make a suggestion or a hesitant admission, and the second one is a grammar pattern that, to tell you the truth, is in fairly common use.
I suppose basically means I think or I believe. However, when you say that you're supposed to do something, it means that you're going to do it because you have been planning to do it or that it is expected of you that you're going to do it. In simpler words, something that's supposed to happen is expected or planned to happen.
Example with the verb to suppose:
That's why We don't suppose to have class on Monday is really nonsense.
Examples with the expression to be supposed to do something: