How do we use ‘be due to’?
Let’s talk about another expression with ‘be’: ‘be due to‘.
We use ‘be due to‘ to talk about something that’s scheduled or planned for the future. Usually it’s some kind of official timetable or something that has been arranged. It’s often used with verbs like ‘start‘, ‘finish‘, ‘leave‘ and ‘arrive‘.
- He is due to start work next Monday.
- They are due to arrive at 3:15.
We can also use ‘was / were due to‘ to say that something was scheduled or planned in the past. Often, the thing didn’t happen or maybe we don’t know if it happened or not.
- The train was due to arrive at 6 pm but it didn’t get here till midnight.
- We were due to meet yesterday but she had to cancel.
TIP
Be due to is similar to [be + infinitive plus to]
Mick Jagger is to perform at Madison Square Garden tonight. / Mick Jagger is due to perform at Madison Square Garden tonight.
We hope that helps, and really good luck with your English!
