Auxiliaries

AUX to-inf

The auxiliary verb be is followed by the to-infinitive form of another verb. The two verbs are in phase and form a complex verb group.

	Auxiliary verb	to-infinitive
Subject	Verb		Completive
The talks	are	to begin	tomorrow.
She	is	to be congratulated.
He	was	to become	President.

This pattern is used to talk about something that will happen, something that should happen, something that would happen under certain conditions, or something that has happened, seen from the viewpoint of a time before it happened, and when it was not expected.

The Prime Minister is to get a full briefing on the release of the hostages next week.

She said if she didn't get back by six, I was to call the police.

What is to be done?

If you were to rub a piece of plastic with a cloth, it would produce static electricity.

He needs to pull his socks up if he is to make a success of his England career.

Proven ability to play in bad weather could be essential, if we are to believe the forecast.

Other reformers such as Thomas Spence, who was to become a more significant radical influence at a later date, substituted phonetic for conventional spellings in their writings.

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