# Suppose(d) idea(l)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-d-idea-l/613972>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 25, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-d-idea-l/613972 "2012-02-25T17:21:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![MsFlda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@MsFlda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsFlda)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-d-idea-l/613972/1 "2012-02-25T17:21:16Z")

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Which is the proper way to use this sentence: People have crazy views and idea(l)s about what love is suppose(d) to be.

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**Author:** ![Christopher\_Robin\_Davies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8dc957/32.png) [@Christopher\_Robin\_Davies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Christopher_Robin_Davies)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-d-idea-l/613972/2 "2012-02-25T17:30:12Z")

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> [@MsFlda](#):
>
> Which is the proper way to use this sentence: People have crazy views and idea(l)s about what love is suppose(d) to be.

People have crazy views and ideas about what love is supposed to be.

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**Author:** ![Bootis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@Bootis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootis)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-d-idea-l/613972/3 "2012-02-25T17:37:15Z")

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You could also use it as a bottle opener. It’d work, though some upper crusters might protest that it’s not proper.

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**Author:** ![MsFlda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@MsFlda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsFlda)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-d-idea-l/613972/4 "2012-02-25T17:47:14Z")

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> [@Bootis](#):
>
> You could also use it as a bottle opener. It’d work, though some upper crusters might protest that it’s not proper.

Not sure I understand that one. Enlighten me.

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**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-d-idea-l/613972/5 "2012-02-25T17:53:33Z")

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I think the OP goes wrong where it says ‘use this sentence’ where it seems to be looking for ‘what is grammatical and/or reflects the correct usage’. The proper way to ‘use’ this sentence is to use it in a context where the meaning of the words reflects what you want to say or write. For instance, in a discussion about love, in which you want to contend that people have crazy ideas or ideals (either is possible, I guess) about what love is supposed (here you have to go with the past participle of ‘to suppose’; ‘what love is \*suppose to be’ is wrong) to be.

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**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-d-idea-l/613972/6 "2012-02-25T17:54:57Z")

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> [@Christopher\_Robin\_Davies](#):
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> People have crazy views and ideas about what love is supposed to be.

Agreed.

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**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppose-d-idea-l/613972/7 "2012-02-25T19:50:14Z")

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> [@hajario](#):
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> Agreed.

Ditto. One could follow that sentence with “I suppose they have high ideals that are never met.”