supposed to arrive

USAGE SUMMARY

"supposed to arrive" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It generally means to have expectations of something arriving, usually used with the future tense. For example: We are supposed to receive the package tomorrow.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"No one's supposed to arrive till four.

Independent

The barbarians are supposed to arrive today.

The New Yorker

The rest are supposed to arrive by December.

The Economist

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

The New York Times

He was supposed to arrive at two-thirty.

The New Yorker

His plane is supposed to arrive this evening.

The New York Times

Danny was supposed to arrive at 9, and as usual I was running a bit late.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Only the royals – foreign and British – and the bride's family are supposed to arrive later.

Independent

ST. LOUIS -- The future was not supposed to arrive so quickly for the St . Louis Cardinals

The New York Times

"You know my cousins from Algeria, the ones who are supposed to arrive tonight?

The New Yorker

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

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "supposed to arrive", ensure the context clearly indicates who or what is expected to arrive and when. Specify the expected time or date for better clarity.

Common error

Avoid using "supposed to arrive" in the past tense when referring to a current expectation. Use "was supposed to arrive" for past expectations that were not met, but "is supposed to arrive" for present or future expectations.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "supposed to arrive" functions as a modal construction indicating expectation or obligation regarding a future event. Ludwig provides numerous examples demonstrating its use in describing scheduled or anticipated arrivals.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Academia

15%

Wiki

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Science

2%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "supposed to arrive" is a common and grammatically correct way to express an expectation or plan for something to reach a destination. Ludwig AI confirms its proper usage, with numerous examples showing its prevalence in news, academic, and general contexts. When using the phrase, ensure clarity by specifying who or what is expected to arrive and when, while avoiding tense errors by using "was supposed to arrive" for past expectations and "is supposed to arrive" for present/future ones. Alternative phrases like "scheduled to arrive" or "expected to arrive" can be used depending on the context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

expected to be here

Replaces "arrive" with "be here", emphasizing location rather than the act of arriving.

planned to come

Substitutes "arrive" with "come", indicating a planned arrival.

scheduled to get in

Uses "get in" to imply arrival, with "scheduled" highlighting the planned nature.

anticipated to show up

Uses "show up" to mean arrive, with "anticipated" indicating expectation.

due to land

Specifically refers to the arrival of aircraft, replacing "arrive" with "land".

set to reach

Implies reaching a destination, where "arrive" can be substituted with "reach".

slated for arrival

Replaces the verb phrase with a noun phrase indicating a scheduled arrival.

estimated time of arrival

Replaces the verb phrase with a noun phrase indicating an expected arrival time.

programmed to appear

Uses "appear" to imply arrival and "programmed" to suggest scheduled nature.

booked for arrival

Indicates that an arrival has been formally arranged or reserved.

FAQs

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

You can use "supposed to arrive" to indicate an expectation of arrival. For example, "The package is supposed to arrive tomorrow", or "He was supposed to arrive yesterday, but his flight was delayed".

What's the difference between "expected to arrive" and "supposed to arrive"?

"Expected to arrive" implies a strong belief or anticipation, while "supposed to arrive" suggests a plan or schedule. "He is expected to arrive" means we strongly believe he will, while "He is supposed to arrive" means it's planned.

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

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

Is it correct to say "was supposed to arrive"?

Yes, "was supposed to arrive" is correct when referring to a past expectation. For example, "The train was supposed to arrive at 10 a.m., but it was delayed".