1. C¸ch dïng ®éng tõ to be + infinitive BE + INFINITIVE

- Nã ®îc dïng ®Ó truyÒn ®¹t nh÷ng mÖnh lÖnh hoÆc nh÷ng chØ dÉn ttõ ngêi thø nhÊt qua ngêi thø 2 tíi ngêi thø 3.

VÝ dô:- No one is to leave this building without the permission of the police.

(kh«ng ai ®îc phÐp rêi toµ nhµ nµy mµ kh«ng ®îc phÐp cña c¶nh s¸t).- He is to stay here until we return.

(nã ph¶i ë l¹i ®©y cho tíi khi bän tao quay l¹i).- Dïng víi mÖnh ®Ò if mang tÝnh b¾t buéc hoÆc mÖnh lÖnh.

VÝ dô:- Something must be done quickly if extinct birds are to be saved- He said if he fall asleep at the wheel, we were to wake him up.

- ®Ó truyÒn ®¹t mét dù ®Þnh.VÝ dô:

- She is to be married next month.(c« Êy sÏ cíi vµo th¸ng tíi)

- The expedition is to start in a week’s time.CÊu tróc nµy rÊt th«ng dông trong b¸o chÝ vµ nÕu nã lµ tùa ®Ò b¸o th× ngêi ta bá be ®i ®Ó tiÕt kiÖm chç.

VÝ dô:- The Prime Minister is to make a statement tomorrow.= The Prime Minister to make a statement tomorrow.

- Was/ were + infinitive§Ó diÔn ®¹t 1 ý tëng vÒ sè mÖnh.

VÝ dô:- They said good bye without knowing that they were never to meet again.(hä chia tay nhau mµ kh«ng biÕt r»ng sÏ ch¼ng bao giê hä gÆp l¹i nhau)

- To be about to + verb = near future = to be in the point of Ving.

To be + infinitive: I am to """,you are to """etc

1. plans and arrangements: He is to visit NigeriaWe use this structure in a formal style to talk about official and other plans and arrangements.

The President is to visit Nigeria next month.We are to get a 10 per cent wage rise in June.I felt nervous because I was soon to leave home for the first time.A perfect infinitive can be used to show that a planned event did not happen.I was to have started work last week, but I changed my mind.

2. 'fate': We were to meet againAnother use is to talk about things which are/were 'hidden in the future', fated to happen.

I thought we were saying goodbye for ever. But we were to meet again, many years later, under very strange circumstances.

3. pre-conditions: If we are to get there in time ...

The structure is common in if-clauses, when the main clause expresses a pre-condition - something that must happen first if something else is to happen.

If we are to get there by lunchtime we had better hurry.He knew he would have to work hard if he was to pass his exam.

4. orders: You are to do your homeworkThe structure is used to give orders, often by parents speaking to children.

You are to do your homework before you watch Tv.She can go to the party, but she's not to be back late.

5. be + passive infinitive: It is not to be removedBe + passive infinitive is often used in notices and instructions.am/are/is (not) to be + past participle

This cover is not to be removed.Sometimes only the passive infinitive is used.

To be taken three times a day after meals. (on a medicine bottle)Some other common expressions with be + passive infinitive:

There's nothing to be done. She was nowhere to be found.I looked out of the window, but there was nothing to be seen.

6. tensesNote that this structure exists only in present and past tenses. We cannot say that somebody htls been to go somewhere, or will/must be to go somewhere.Participle structures (being to go) are not possible either

perfect infinitive for 'unreal' pastAfter some verbs (e.g. mean, be, would like), perfect infinitives can refer to 'unreal' past situations that are the opposite of what really happened.

I meant to have telephoned, but I forgot. (OR I meant to telephone ... )He was to have been the new ambassador, but he fell ill.I wish I'd been there - I would like to have seen Harry's face when Nan walked in.

With would like, would prefer and one or two other verbs, a double perfect infinitive is sometimes used in informal speech; the extra perfect infinitive does not change the meaning.

I would have liked to have seen Harry's face.

if ... was/were toThis is another way of talking about unreal or imaginary future events.

If the boss was/were to come in now, we'd be in real trouble.(= If the boss came ... )What would we do if I was/were to lose my job?

It can be used to make a suggestion sound less direct, and so more polite.If you were to move your chair a bit, we could all sit down.

This structure is not normally used with verbs like be or know, which refer to continuing situations.If I knew her name ... (NOT If I were to know her name ... )