English Conversation

Making dates and appointments 51

Supposed to

Supposed to indicates advice to follow a custom.

We’re supposed to be seated at our desks before the bell rings.

You’re not supposed to text during class.

Wish

To wish means to be sorry that something is not true. It is followed by a verb in the subjunctive

mood. Present tense subjunctive forms are as follows:

The verb be: use were for all subjects (I, you, he, she, it, we, they).

(You are not here.) I wish you were here.

(We are not in California.) We wish we were in California.

(He is not tall.) He wishes he were tall.

All other verbs: use the past tense form.

(She can’t go to the concert.) She wishes she could go to the concert.

(I don’t like to dance.) I wish I liked to dance.

(She doesn’t study enough.) We wish she studied more.

I wish! indicates that it would please you if something said were really true, even though you

believe that it isn’t true.

You’re the best student in the class. I wish!

How about...?

How about...? is a way of making a suggestion.

I want to go shopping. How about going with me this afternoon?

Do you have these shoes in size six? No, but how about these? They’re very similar.

Let’s say

Let’s say is a way of making a more forceful suggestion.

I want to go shopping. Let’s say you do your homework first.

Can you pick me up at 5 p.m.? Let’s say 5:30; I can’t get there by 5.

Oh dear

Oh dear is an exclamation that indicates you wish something weren’t true or hadn’t happened.

Oh dear, I dropped my bag and my stuff is everywhere.

Oh dear, I said Friday and I meant Thursday. I’m so sorry.

Look

Look is an expression that indicates that you want the person you are speaking to to understand

what you are going to say next.

You got here late! Look, I said I was sorry.