was supposed to be vs was supposed to have been

Both "was supposed to be" and "was supposed to have been" are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "Was supposed to be" is used to talk about something that was expected or intended in the past, while "was supposed to have been" is used to talk about something that was expected or intended before a specific point in the past.

Last updated: April 09, 2024 • 248 views

was supposed to be

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

This phrase is used to talk about something that was expected or intended in the past.

Examples:

He was supposed to be here by now.
The package was supposed to be delivered yesterday.
The meeting was supposed to be at 3 p.m.
The report was supposed to be submitted last week.
The cake was supposed to be chocolate.

Show examples from the web [+]

That was supposed to be my life.
It was supposed to be this really big deal.
It was supposed to be sold at auction.
That was supposed to be returned to the bank.
This sword was supposed to be buried with my grandpa.
That was supposed to be the fun car.
It was supposed to be a bachelor/bachelorette party.
This was supposed to be routine.
That was supposed to be returned to the bank.
It was taken this morning when she was supposed to be with her kid.
Al Gough was supposed to be Mark's partner.
This was supposed to be our world.
The agent was supposed to be here with the dough.
There was this guy who was supposed to be psychic.
Your father was supposed to be alone.
It was supposed to be a quiet release with a local photographer.
My client was supposed to be sent to county yesterday.
Well, it was supposed to be a nice night out.
It was supposed to be a very special, life-advice sort of occasion.
This was supposed to be a clean score.

Alternatives:

was meant to be
was expected to be
was scheduled to be
was planned to be
was intended to be

was supposed to have been

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

This phrase is used to talk about something that was expected or intended before a specific point in the past.

Examples:

The report was supposed to have been submitted by yesterday.
The project was supposed to have been completed by last month.
The repairs were supposed to have been finished by now.
The payment was supposed to have been made by Friday.
The decision was supposed to have been taken earlier.

Show examples from the web [+]

Your path through the world this morning was supposed to have been adjusted.
This was supposed to have been Errol Flynn's house.
I did see a picture once that was supposed to have been a make-up test for the werewolf of London.
Dad was supposed to have been buried in the family plot, but...
This fact was supposed to have been evaluated in 2002, but we have not yet seen any results of these evaluations.
This document was supposed to have been submitted as far back as 1 July 1992, then that deadline was extended to 30 June 1995, and we did not actually receive the document until 26 July 1996.
This framework decision was supposed to have been transposed by August 2004.
Michael, nobody was supposed to have been copied, no living thing.
Mr President, the first speaker from my group today was supposed to have been Mr Görlach.
What was supposed to have been a short sojourn in Milan soon became a permanent one.
'cause it was supposed to have been a tunnel.
News has recently emerged of a study carried out by the International Monetary Fund which was supposed to have been confidential, intended solely for governments and central banks.
The new proposal is essentially a show of good intentions and reiterates a comparable policy which, according to the report, was supposed to have been applied more than five years ago.
It was under preparation at the start of the year, it was supposed to have been voted on by the Commission in May and has been repeatedly delayed due, we understand, to industry pressure.
You see when this was going on, Koide was drinking outside the hospital when he was supposed to have been on duty.
We see this with Nazism, and we also see it with communism, which promised to build the world the way it was supposed to have been, and instead destroyed the world.
The funding from contributions hitherto dates back to the early stages of the organisation's current form, and was supposed to have been replaced by 2005 by a long-term system of funding.
When may we expect to see the first report on the application of Directive 2002/39/EC, which was supposed to have been submitted to the European Parliament and the Council by 31 December 2004?
He was supposed to have been out of the country.
That list was supposed to have been destroyed.

Alternatives:

was meant to have been
was expected to have been
was scheduled to have been
was planned to have been
was intended to have been

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