On Mon, 18 Nov 1996, Burkhard Leuschner wrote:
 
> >        She was supposed to be elated.
>
> Carolyn,
>
> 1. This is a passive sentence.
> The corresponding (non-existent) active sentence might be:
>         People supposed her    to be elated.
> 'to be elated' would be an object complement, which makes it a subject
> complement in the passive sentence - as you say.
>
> 2. 'suppose' is a regular  full verb - why should it all of a sudden turn
> into some kind of auxiliary, of whatever kind?
>
 
There are some uses in which "is supposed to be" is a passive sentence,
such as
 
The defendant was supposed to be innocent.
 
In the passive use, however, there is an intonation contour in which the
second syllable of "supposed" lengthens.
 
The sentence, "She was supposed to be elated," does not have the passive
sense in my use.  It is not a case of someone supposing her to be
elated.  Here "was supposed" is a synonym of some kind for "should."
 
A test for the difference is to insert the following kind of phrase--"was
going to be."  If the sentence is passive, it should be possible to
insert such a phrase.
 
(A)  The defendant was going to be supposed to be innocent.
 
Awkward but okay.
 
(B)  She was going to be supposed to be elated.
 
Doesn't work for me.
 
Third example
 
(C) He's someone I'm gonna be supposed to know.
 
Insertion works best when the form is contracted.
 
 
Virtually, Terry
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Terry Lynn Irons        [log in to unmask]
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