Obligaciones en el futuro
Formación
Cuando nos referimos por escrito a obligaciones futuras, podemos emplear una construcción formal compuesta de dos elementos:
el verbo "to be" conjugado en presente conforme al sujeto + el infinitivo del verbo principal
To travel, en el sentido de obligación futura
| Afirmativa | Negativa | Interrogativa | Interrogativa negativa |
|---|---|---|---|
| I am to travel. | I am not to travel. | Am I to travel? | Am I not to travel? |
| You are to travel. | You are not to travel. | Are you to travel? | Aren't you to travel? |
| He is to travel. | He is not to travel. | Is he to travel? | Isn't he to travel? |
| It is to travel. | It is not to travel. | Is it to travel? | Isn't it to travel? |
| We are to travel. | We are not to travel. | Are we to travel? | Aren't we to travel? |
| They are to travel. | They are not to travel. | Are they to travel? | Aren't they to travel? |
Funciones
En el inglés escrito podemos emplear esta construcción para expresar la obligación o exigencia de hacer algo en un momento posterior al actual. El significado es similar al de "must" pero conlleva la sugerencia de que algo se ha organizado o arreglado para que nosotros actuemos. No suele utilizarse en el inglés hablado.
Ejemplos
- You are to leave this room at once, and you are to travel by train to London.
- In London you are to pick up your ticket from Mr Smith, and you are to fly to your destination alone.
- When you arrive, you are to meet our agent, Mr X, who will give you further information.
- You are to destroy this message now.