Cambridge Grammar of English Hardback with cd-rom a comprehensive Guide

Û

539 Glossary for any unfamiliar terms

Modality | 673

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Be meant to

404f

Be meant to

refers to things which are destined, or generally accepted to be true:

I thought we were going to marry each other, but it 

wasn’t meant to be.

(it was not destined to happen)

[talking about ghosts]

A: Animals are more sensitive aren’t they? Bob’s dog has a fit when the ghost

comes out. It goes and hides under the bed. Or has a massive barking fit.

Animals 

are meant to be able to see them before humans can. 

B: Yeah.

(it is generally accepted that animals can see them before humans can)

Be meant to

can also refer to what is desirable, necessary or intended:

We

’re meant to reply before the end of the month.

(it is desired or necessary)

[university lecturer explaining a difficult poem in a literature class]

It’s intentionally fragmented. It 

is meant to be difficult. Everything you’re doing

is meant to be difficult. It’s suggesting something about the difficulty of modern

living, in the sense that it’s all fragmented. The poem’s fragmented but life has

become fragmented as well. 

(it is intended to be difficult)

We were back here two hours before we 

were meant to be.

The negative is not meant to. It typically means ‘not supposed to/not intended to’:

It was 

not meant to be a criticism.