# Used to and Supposed to! Right?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-to-and-supposed-to-right/41925>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 20, 2000, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-to-and-supposed-to-right/41925 "2000-11-20T03:59:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2000, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-to-and-supposed-to-right/41925/1 "2000-11-20T03:59:36Z")

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It is proper to say “I used to be very smart, but now I am stupid.” And not "I use to be… " Right?

Same with ‘supposed’?

We are _supposed_ to write it like this? Right?

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**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2000, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-to-and-supposed-to-right/41925/2 "2000-11-20T04:00:44Z")

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Right.

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**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2000, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-to-and-supposed-to-right/41925/3 "2000-11-20T05:44:00Z")

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You’re right. Used, supposed. Saying “use to” and “suppose to” is an error that’s relatively new to me, since I’ve seen it only since the everyone’s-on-email explosion of the last two or three years. But it drives me crazy! My mother-in-law seems to be careful about everything else that she writes in her e-mails, except she’s always using “suppose to.” Anyone else, and I’d correct them.

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**Author:** ![SSgtBaloo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@SSgtBaloo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSgtBaloo)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2000, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/used-to-and-supposed-to-right/41925/4 "2000-11-20T06:49:56Z")

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**The Unbridged Korean/English Dictionary [Gee Eye Edition]** has the following entry:  
[/quote]  
**Spozed To:** [ul]A moral obligation. Usually used when the obligation, if put into action, would either be injurious to your health or is patently stupid.[/ul]~~Baloo