Should and Ought To – English Grammar Lesson

Hi everyone! In today’s grammar lesson, we will explore how to effectively use “should” and “ought to” in various contexts. Although this might seem like a lot of information, don’t worry—we’ll go through everything step-by-step. I’ve also included a video on this topic for the students who are more visual learners. Let’s get started!

 

Let’s start with the basics.

“Should” is a modal verb. Other modal verbs include:

• shall
• can
• could
• will
• would
• may
• might
• must

These verbs are special because they never change form. The structure is consistently:

subject + modal verb + bare infinitive

What’s a bare infinitive? It’s the most basic form of the verb: go, eat, play, do, smile—not “to go,” not “eating,” not “played,” just the basic form of the verb.

You can see the structure always stays the same:

• He should goes? 
• She shoulds eat? 

In this way, modal verbs are quite simple to use. We can also use “ought to” here, with a slight change in structure:

subject + ought to + bare infinitive

With “ought to,” you need to include “to”:

• I ought go? 

Understanding ‘Should’

Let’s summarize “SHOULD” with a simple definition: It’s better if you do this.

What do I mean? Here are a couple of examples:

• You should brush your teeth at least twice a day. 

Is this a law or a rule? No, but it’s better if you do this.

• A: I’m out of printer paper. I’ll take a few sheets from Steve’s printer. B: You should ask Steve first.

Again, this is not a rule or a law, but it’s better if you ask.

We’ve looked at two examples so far, and I hope you are starting to get a feeling for how “should” is used. “Should” implies a weak obligation. For strong obligations, we use “must” or “have to.”

MUST or HAVE TO?

Exploring Examples in the Negative

• We’re in a big city. You should not keep your wallet in your back pocket.

Here I’ve added “not.” Usually, we contract “should not” to “shouldn’t.”

Why? Because of pickpockets—a person who steals from your pockets quietly and quickly. You don’t even realize it’s happening. “Pickpocket” is also a verb.
Have you ever been pickpocketed?

• Hikers should not feed the wild animals.

Is this a rule or a law? No, but it’s better if you don’t do this.

• Should the students work in pairs for this activity?

Is it better if they work in pairs?

Can We Use ‘Ought To’?

Yes, “ought to” can also be used like “should.” However, it is less common and more formal than “should.” Below, I have created a table to compare the use of “ought to” with the examples provided above.

“Should” can also be used to criticize or give advice when we believe something would be better. See below for examples.

Great! So far, we’ve examined weak obligations, criticism, and advice. Now, let’s explore another use: expectation.

• It’s 8:15. Our bus should be here soon/Our bus ought to be here soon.
• There’s not much tape left, but there should be enough to wrap the gift/There ought to be enough.
• Doctor: Your son is one year old. He should start walking any day now. He ought to start walking any
  day now.

In the first two examples above, I expect the bus to arrive at 8:15 and that there will be enough tape to wrap the gift. In the third example, the doctor expects the child to start walking any day now.

Grammatical structures with examples

There are multiple ways verbs can be used after “should.” There are different structures and they all have a difference nuance. Take a look!

should + bare infinitive – should go, should eat, should play

present general advice OR completed actions

should be + verb “ing” – should be going, should be eating, should be playing

present ongoing actions OR repeated actions

should have + past participle – should have gone, should have eaten, should have played

past completed action / actions in general (usually regrets or criticism)

should have been + “ing” – should have been going, should have been eating, should have been
playing

past ongoing actions OR repeated actions

Let’s compare them together. Sometimes that’s the best way to learn.

1. You look tired. You should sleep. (general advice OR completed actions) 
2. Why are you awake? It’s 1 a.m. You should be sleeping. (ongoing actions OR repeated actions)
3. A: I’m so tired. B: You should have slept earlier. (past completed action / actions in general (usually regrets or criticism))
4. I heard you playing video games all night. You should have been sleeping. (past ongoing actions OR repeated actions)

Let’s do another example. Imagine a friend of mine, Cal, recently had back surgery.

1. Cal, you shouldn’t lift anything heavy. (general advice OR completed actions)
2. Put that box down Cal! You shouldn’t be lifting anything heavy. (ongoing actions OR repeated actions)
3. Cal is in hospital again? He shouldn’t have lifted that box of books.  (past completed action / actions in general (usually regrets or criticism))
4. Cal, you shouldn’t have been lifting all of those heavy things. (past ongoing actions OR repeated actions)

 

Test Time!

How confident do you feel after this blog lesson? Take the test below and let me know your score in the comments below! 

 

Thank you so much for reading about should and ought to!

Don’t forget to check out my YouTube channel, Instagram, Facebook and other blogs. See you next time! Arnel