Why word implied doesn't fit in here?

[Jeanine]

English Language Tests, Intermediate level

ESL/EFL Test #57 "A Night Out", question 4

At least that was ......... to be the background although the main interest was in something else.

(a) inferred
(b) implied
(c) suggested
(d) supposed

English Language Tests, Intermediate level

ESL/EFL Test #57 "A Night Out", answer 4

At least that was supposed to be the background although the main interest was in something else.

Correct answer: (d) supposed

Your answer was: incorrect
At least that was implied to be the background although the main interest was in something else.
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Hello,

Why word "implied" doesn't fit in here?
Please explain this sentence for me.

Thanks!

Jeanine

[Alan]

Hi Jeanine,

If you use the word implied here, you are changing the meaning of the sentence. Imply has the sense of suggesting without making it obvious - a sort of underlying indication but that's not what I meant in this sentence. The film described itself as being about the Civil War but in fact it mainly concerned a love affair and so I used supposed to show that's what the film should have been about.

Hope that makes sense.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story A day in the life of a policeman