be to do: (1)表示事先商定、安排或准备要做的事情。如:
The students are to meet at the school gate tomorrow. 明天学生们将在学校大门口集会。
2)表示可能性,必要、责任、义务、禁止等。如:
Her necklace was not to(couldn't)be found. 她的项链找不到了。
be going to do:
1) 表示将要发生的事情或打算最近要进行的动作。如: It is going to rain soon. 快要下雨了。
2) 在含有条件状语从句的主从复合句中,主句一般不用be going to,而常用will(第一人称用shall)。如:
The football match will be put off if it rains tomorrow. 如果明天下雨,足球赛将被推迟举行。
be about to do:
1) 表示即将发生的动作,在时间上指最近的将来。如: We are about to start. 我们就要出发了。
The new school year is about to begin. 新学年开学在即。
2) 在含有be about to do的句子中,不能再加时间状语。如: Wrong: The medical team is about to start immediately.
Right: The medical team is about to start. 医疗队就要出发了。
附:be to do 用法的详细讲解:
be to +动词不定式中的be to用作情态习语, 这时的be to do表示: “计划”、“安排”、“义务”、“应该”、“可能”、“命运”等。(have to, ought to)。如: He is to have a holiday. (表示将来)
The committee is to meet today. (表示计划、安排)
You are to go to the hotel where rooms have already been booked for you.
1. 表示 “将”、“计划”、“安排”。(意思接近于be going to)
如: Their daughter is to get married soon.
It was the last film at the cinema,which was to close next day.
was/ were to do 表示过去曾经计划要做的事,或者过去应当做的事,而且从现在的角度来看已经实现了。
如:
I felt nervous because I was soon to leave home for the first time.
The expedition was to start in a week's time.
was/ were to have done, 表示 “本打算”、“本计划”或“本应当” 做的事而没有做成或没有发生。
如:
I was to have seen him last Wednesday, but he didn't come.
We were to have been married last year.
2. 表示 “义务”、“应该” 。(意思接近于should, must, ought to, have to)
如: No one is to leave the building. 谁也不得离开这楼房。
You are not to smoke in this room.=You are not supposed to smoke in this room.
You are to be back by 10 o'clock. 你必须十点以前回来。
3. 表示可能性, 相当于can, may 如:
Such books are to be found in the library. 这样的书在图书馆里就能找到。
Not a single sound was to be heard. 一点儿声音也听不到。
Not a soul was to be seen. 看不到一个人影。
She was nowhere to be found. 哪儿也找不到她。
She was never to see his wife and family again.
4. 表示 “命运”, 将来必然要发生的事, 译作 “注定……”。如:
He came to power, but he was to play dearly for it: soon he was assassinated. They said goodbye, little knowing they were never to meet again。
5. 用于“if…were to do”,表示虚拟语气。如:
If it were to rain tomorrow, the sports meeting would be put off. 如果明天下雨, 运动会就会延期。