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Ought to

Ought to is a semi-modal verb because it is in some ways like a modal verb and in some ways like a main verb. For example, unlike modal verbs, it is followed by to, but like modal verbs, it does not change form for person:

  • I ought to phone my parents.
  • It ought to be easy now.

Ought to: form​

Affirmative​

Ought to comes first in the verb phrase (after the subject and before another verb):

  • We ought to do more exercise.

Ought to cannot be used with another modal verb:

  • Medicine ought to be free.
  • Not: Medicine ought to can be free. or Medicine can ought to be free.

Negative​

The negative is formed by adding ‘not’ after ought (ought not to). It can be contracted to oughtn’t to. We don’t use don’t, doesn’t, didn’t with ought to:

  • We ought not to have ordered so much food.

  • Not: We don’t ought to have ordered so much food.

  • You oughtn’t to have said that about his mother.

  • Not: You didn’t ought to have said that about his mother.

The negative of ought to is not common. We usually use shouldn’t or should not instead:

  • You shouldn’t speak to your father like that. (preferred to You oughtn’t to speak …)

Questions​

The subject and ought to change position to form questions. We don’t use do, does, did:

  • Ought she to call the police?
  • Not: Does she ought to call the police?
  • Ought we to be more worried about the environment?
  • Not: Do we ought to be more worried about the environment?
warning

The question form of ought to is not very common. It is very formal. We usually use should instead.

Ought to: uses​

What is desired or ideal​

We use ought to when talking about things which are desired or ideal:

  • They ought to have more parks in the city centre.
  • We ought to eat lots of fruit and vegetables every day.

We use ought to have + -ed form to talk about things that were desired or ideal in the past but which didn’t happen. It can express regret:

  • We ought to have locked the gate. Then the dog wouldn’t have got out. (The ideal or desired thing was that we locked the gate, but we didn’t.)
  • I often think that I ought to have studied medicine not pharmacy. (I would be happier now if I had studied medicine.)

What is likely​

We can use ought to when we talk about what is likely or probable:

  • The concert ought to only take about two hours so we’ll be home by 12 pm.
  • There ought to be some good films at the cinema this weekend.

Ought to or should?​

Ought to and should are similar in meaning. Should is more common than ought to. Ought to is more formal than should:

  • There ought to be more street lights here. (means the same as There should be more street lights here.)
  • I really ought to walk my dog more. He’s so fat. (means the same as I really should walk my dog more. He’s so fat.)

Spoken English:

In speaking, we normally use should as a tag for clauses with ought to:

  • There ought to be a speed limit here, shouldn’t there? (preferred to There ought to be a speed limit here, oughtn’t there?)
  • We ought not to have to pay for basic medicines, should we? (preferred to We ought not to have to pay for basic medicines, ought we?)
See also
  • Modality: introduction
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