#should, #oughtto, #hadbetter, #supposedto, #advancedenglishlessons
The word should and the phrases ought to, had better, and supposed to go hand in hand more or less with a similar meaning.
Peripherally, they all sound the same, but this video will explain the nuances of how one word brings out a different meaning and the mood as well from another in different situations.
All these are essentially auxiliary verbs, which we know, support the main verb in a sentence to emphasize a specific meaning in context.
Essentially, you’re suggested to hold on to this video till the end without breaking off in between so that you will be able to master all these usages unambiguously.
We shall streamline through just one idea by applying all these different phrases one after another. This will help us to identify and elucidate precisely the difference in the meaning of one usage from another.
1.First is should
Here goes the sentence:
The students should work diligently for their exam, which is around the corner.
*(Study diligently means study steadily and earnestly. Exam is around corner only means exam is fast approaching)
Here, should is meant to, for any student to pass the exam, it’s a must for them to work hard. If don’t, they aren’t likely to get through.
2. Second is Ought to
The students ought to work diligently for their exam, which is around the corner.
Here, the meaning of ‘ought to’ is the same as the use of ‘should’ as we have just discussed. But for a context like this, the better usage is ‘should’ than ‘ought to’ as the latter stands being quite obsolete. This doesn’t mean that ‘ought to’ is entirely out of use, and we’ll discuss a bit later, how ‘ought to’ conveys differently specific meanings in context.
3. Third is Had better
The students had better work diligently for their exam, which is around the corner.
Let’s see how ‘had better’ makes a different meaning: It’s a suggestion or advice given to the students, rather it is a caution to the students to work hard to come out successfully in exam.
Be noted that the had element of ‘had better’ is not a reference of the past, but it’s a phrase in use related to the present or the future.
Here’s another simple clarification: If one says, you had better take an umbrella as it’s going to rain - This is a polite suggestion to someone to do something (or not to do something) to avoid the consequence of that action if not obeyed or practiced. Here, if you don’t take the umbrella, you will get wet as going to rain is absolutely certain.
4. Fourth is supposed to
The students are supposed to work diligently for the exam, which is around the corner.
Supposed to here means that the students are intended or expected to be working hard uncompromisingly to be successful in exam. It’s more a general statement or a reminder than advice or caution.
Lastly, as mentioned earlier, we shall now revisit ‘ought to’ to explore its 3 added usages:
Ought to is used to high light the following situations:
1. Moral obligation
2. Probability
3. Necessity
1. Moral obligation:
We should know how ‘should’ and ‘ought to’ denote different emotions with different context. These are situations to express social or moral obligations.
Take this sentence: We should help the needy. We ought to help the needy.
Which of these sentences do you think is correct? The answer is both, isn’t it?
But let’s have a bit of difference between them discussed here.
The need of helping the poor is more emphasized through ‘ought to’ than when you use ‘should’, for this is a situation of social obligation.
Let’s take yet another sentence: you ought to care for your parents. Here ‘ought to’ is more appropriate than the use of you should care for your parents because, obviously, it’s a situation of moral obligation.
In both the above examples, ‘ought to’ fosters higher morality than should.
2. PROBALITY
When you want to say something that’s most likely to happen in the future.
Example:
1. They ought to win the game.
2. It ought to flood if it is raining incessantly.
3 .NECESITY
We use ‘ought to’ when there is dearth of something.
Example: 1. We ought to buy an inverter. There has been frequent power failures.
2. We ought to call a plumber as the drainage is totally blocked.
Hope this video has helped you to use ‘should’, ‘ought to’, ‘had better’ and ‘supposed to’
confidently, fluently and at ease! If so, please do like and also share the video with your friends.
Any suggestions, if any, please don’t forget to comment.
Thank you!
Негізгі бет DIFFERENCE IN USAGE: SHOULD, OUGHT TO, HAD BETTER, SUPPOED TO: 26 MAY 2024
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