is supposed to arrive

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'is supposed to arrive' is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to imply that something is expected to occur within a certain time frame or at a particular time. For example, "My replacement laptop is supposed to arrive tomorrow."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

32 human-written examples

His plane is supposed to arrive this evening.

The New York Times

And a system of bike sharing is supposed to arrive in 2012.

The New York Times

This version is supposed to arrive in or around early 2010.

The New York Times - Tech

Narrator, Marie, and Billy are all at a beach town of some sort and the friend is supposed to arrive.

The New Yorker

An Australian navy support vessel that can tow the pinger locator underwater is supposed to arrive within days.

The Washington Post

So she is brainstorming new ideas and is particularly excited about a shipment of water bottles that is supposed to arrive next month.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

28 human-written examples

He was supposed to arrive at two-thirty.

The New Yorker

The barbarians are supposed to arrive today.

The New Yorker

The rest are supposed to arrive by December.

The Economist

"No one's supposed to arrive till four.

Independent

This year, fish were supposed to arrive in ample numbers.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "is supposed to arrive" when you want to convey an expectation or plan, but acknowledge that there is a possibility it may not happen as scheduled.

Common error

Avoid using "is supposed to arrive" when you need to express absolute certainty. This phrase implies an expectation, not a guarantee. Use phrases like "will arrive" or "is confirmed to arrive" for certainty.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "is supposed to arrive" functions as a modal expression indicating expectation or anticipation of an event. As shown in Ludwig, this construction conveys that something is scheduled or planned to happen, but it doesn't guarantee its occurrence. It's a common way to communicate future events with a degree of uncertainty.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

68%

Academia

17%

Science

6%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Wiki

3%

Reference

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "is supposed to arrive" is a common and grammatically correct way to express an expectation or scheduled event, as confirmed by Ludwig. It's often used in contexts where the arrival is anticipated but not guaranteed. As indicated in Ludwig, the phrase appears frequently in news and media sources, as well as in academic and scientific writings. When using this phrase, it's important to convey the context of who or what is expected, and the estimated timeframe, and be aware of other phrases such as "is expected to arrive", "is scheduled to arrive", and "is due to arrive".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

is scheduled to arrive

Replaces "supposed to" with "scheduled to", emphasizing a firm plan.

is expected to arrive

Substitutes "supposed to" with "expected to", focusing on anticipation.

is due to arrive

Uses "due to" instead of "supposed to", implying an obligation or timetable.

is anticipated to arrive

Replaces "supposed to" with "anticipated to", suggesting a forecast or prediction.

is slated to arrive

Uses "slated to" in place of "supposed to", indicating a formal arrangement.

is programmed to arrive

Replaces "supposed to" with "programmed to", used especially when referring to automated systems.

is planned to arrive

Substitute of "supposed to" with "planned to", signaling that an action has been devised or arranged.

will arrive

Simplified version without expressing an expectation.

should arrive

Indicates a reasonable expectation rather than a firm arrangement.

is set to arrive

Substitute of "supposed to" with "set to", meaning ready or likely to do something.

FAQs

How can I use "is supposed to arrive" in a sentence?

You can use "is supposed to arrive" to indicate an expectation or scheduled event, for example, "The package "is supposed to arrive" tomorrow".

What can I say instead of "is supposed to arrive"?

You can use alternatives like "is expected to arrive", "is scheduled to arrive", or "is due to arrive" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "is supposed to arrive" or "is expect to arrive"?

"Is supposed to arrive" is correct. "Is expect to arrive" is grammatically incorrect; the correct form is "is expected to arrive".

What is the difference between "is supposed to arrive" and "will arrive"?

"Is supposed to arrive" implies an expectation or plan that may or may not happen, while "will arrive" expresses certainty about the arrival. "The train "is supposed to arrive" at 5 PM" suggests a schedule, but there could be delays. "The train will arrive at 5 PM" asserts that it is confirmed to arrive at that time.