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Topic: Should, ought to and must |
9 April 2002 |
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This week, we want to show you the usage of these three words: should, ought to and must.
It seems as if a lot of people see them as the same word. Although they are very similar,
there are also some differences to them. Let's look closely.
Should and ought
are very similar. They are both used to
talk about obligation and duty, to give advice and to say what we
think it is right for people to do.
You ought to/should see 'Nang Nak'. It's a great film.
There is sometimes a small difference. We use should or ought to
when we are talking about our own feelings, but we prefer ought to when we are
talking about 'outside' rules, moral duties, etc. It is more formal.
In Muslim countries everybody ought to give ten percent of his or her income to charity.
Must is much stronger than should and ought to.
For example, we can give advice with should
and ought to; we can give orders with must. |
Compare:
You ought to give up smoking. (= It's a good idea.)
The doctor said I must give up smoking. (= He ordered me to.)
We can use should and ought to
to say that something is probable; we can use must to say that it is certain.
Compare:
Somchai should/ ought to be at home now. (= There is a good reason to think he's at home.)
Somchai must be at home now. (= There are reasons to be certain that he's at home.)
Well, this is not hard at all, right? Now you have learned how to correctly advise others.
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Exercise: Should, ought to and must |
| Directions: Choose the word that best suits the context in each sentence. |
 1. I _______ finish this assignment by Friday; otherwise, I will fail the course. |
| 2. Nobody answered the phone. They _______ have left. |
| 3. You _______ not drink too much. It's bad for your health. |
| 4. You _______ submit a writing report on your seminar. |
| 5. You _______ never lie to the police. You can be in big trouble for it. |
| 6. You _______ be Nick's sister. I've heard so much about you. |
| 7. We _______ leave the house before 6,or we will be late. |
| 8. You _______ keep photocopies of all of your important document. |
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Answers |
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