Had Better vs. Should vs.

Ought To

1. Had Better Vs. Should Vs. Ought To

We use ought to and should for something advisable to do whereas had better used for strong or
urgent advice.

Ex. He should call his mother.

He ought to call his mother.

He had better call his mother unless, its consequence will be bad.

Form subj + modals+verb+ object/compl

Should, ought to and had better do not take verb-ing, infinitive-to and s, es and ies.

Had better
'Had better' is a 'semi-modal verb.' 'Had better' is used to show what is the best thing to do. It is
mainly used in its contracted form and to give warnings. Have a look:

I'd better return to my hotel.

He'd better not come to the meeting.
Should
'Should' is a modal verb. 'Should' is used to talk about obligations, assumptions, and to
give advice. For example:

He should be at the meeting.

You should call the police at the time of danger.
Ought to
'Ought to' is a semi-modal. It expresses assumptions, obligations, advices, and expectations. For
instance:

I ought to leave soon.

You ought to be ashamed of yourself.
Similarities and Differences
Advice
We use 'had better,' 'ought to,' and 'should' to express what we think is the best thing to do or to
put it simply: give advice. For instance:

You'd better call for a taxi.

You should call for a taxi.
You ought to call for a taxi.
Talking about Assumptions
We use 'should' and 'ought to' to talk about assumptions that are statements without any firm
proof. For example:
She should be done with the meeting.
She ought to be done with the meeting.
Talking about Obligations
We can use 'should' and 'ought to' to talk about obligations and duties. 'Ought to' gives a
stronger sense of duty than 'should.' Take a look at these examples:

You should stop at the stop sign.

You ought to stop at the stop sign.
Present perfect tense
We use present perfect

 When there is the connection between the past and the present that means action that
started in the past and continues in the present.

I have lived in Hawassa since 2016.

 An action done in the past and its effect related to present time.

I have eaten the lunch.

I have washed my hands.

 To talk about life experience.

I haven’t eaten meat in my entire life.

Have you lived in America before?

Have you seen this movie?

We do not mention the specific time when the action completed.

Conditionals
What is a Conditional Sentence?
A conditional sentence is based on the word ‘if’. There are always two parts to a conditional
sentence – one part beginning with ‘if’ to describe a possible situation, and the second part which
describes the consequence. For example:
If it rains, we’ll get wet.
We can also invert the two parts of a conditional sentence so that the ‘if’ part comes second, and
this is especially common in questions. For example:

What will you do if you miss the train?

How can you finish the project if you don’t have a computer?
What happens if the students don’t pass an exam?
There are four types of conditional sentences:

0 – The zero conditional

1 – The first conditional

2 – The second conditional

3 – The third conditional

The Zero Conditional

We use the zero conditional to talk about permanent truths, such as scientific facts, and general
habits. The structure is simple:

If + present simple……present simple

Here are some examples:

If you heat water to 100°, it boils.

If you eat a lot, you put on weight.
If it doesn’t rain for a long time, the earth gets very dry.
The First Conditional
We use the first conditional to talk about a realistic situation in the present or future. The
structure of the first conditional is as follows:

If + present simple….will + present simple

Here are some examples:

If you’re free later, we will go for a walk.

If they’re hungry, I’ll make some sandwiches.
If he studies hard, he’ll do well in the exam.
He’ll call if he needs help.
Another way to make first conditional sentences is to use ‘unless’ which means ‘only if’ or
‘except’. As with ‘if’, the word ‘unless’ can never be followed by ‘will’ but only by the present
simple. For example:

Unless you hurry up, you won’t catch the bus.

I’ll carry on doing this work, unless my boss tells me to do something else.
We’ll stay at home unless the weather improves.
The Second Conditional
We use the second conditional to talk about improbable or impossible situations in the present or
future. Here is the structure:

If + past simple…..would/could + verb1

For example:

If I had more time, I’d exercise more. (But I don’t have more time so I don’t.)
If I were rich, I’d spend all my time travelling. (But I’m not rich so I can’t.)
If he didn’t have to work late, he could go out with his girlfriend.
What would you do if you were offered a job in Canada?
A common expression used to give advice has the second conditional structure. The expression
is ‘If I were you, I’d..’, meaning ‘in your situation, this is what I would do’. For example:
A: I don’t understand this.
B: If I were you, I’d ask your teacher for help.
A: This order won’t be delivered on time.
B: If I were you, I’d phone the customer to let them know.
The Third Conditional
We use the third conditional to talk about impossible situations, as in the second conditional, in
the past. We often use the third conditional to describe regrets. The structure is:

If + past perfect….would/could/have + past participle

Here are some examples:

If we had left earlier, we would have arrived on time.

If you hadn’t forgotten her birthday, she wouldn’t have been upset.
If they had booked earlier, they could have found better seats.
If I hadn’t learnt English, I wouldn’t have got this job.
Main Idea & Supporting Details
 The main idea in a paragraph is the most important idea. It is the central point that an
author is trying to get across to the reader.
 The supporting details describe the main idea. They make the main idea stronger and
clearer.
 Keep in mind that the main idea is often the first or last sentence of a paragraph.
 To find the main idea, answer two questions:
(1) What is the paragraph mostly about?
(2) Which sentence best tells what the paragraph is about?
Example:
Mother gorillas do a lot for their babies. They nurse their babies. They protect them from danger.
And they teach the tiny gorillas how to get along with other gorillas.
(1) The paragraph is mostly about what mother gorillas do.
(2) The first sentence tells what the paragraph is about. It is the main idea.
Main Idea
Mother gorillas do a lot for their babies.
Supporting Detail #1
They nurse their babies.
Supporting Detail #2
They nurse their babies
They protect them from danger.
Summary writing
A summary is basically a shorter version of a reading. Summaries are one-tenth to one-fourth the
length of the original. When you summarize, first find the author’s main idea of the whole
reading (thesis) and main supporting idea in each paragraph.
Leave out small, unimportant details and examples. Then paraphrase those ideas, which mean
write those ideas in your own words. Since you are writing the author’s main ideas in your own
words, a summary is really a collection of paraphrases.
BASIC STEPS IN WRITING A SUMMARY
1. Find the one main idea (thesis) for the entire reading.
2. Find the main supporting ideas in the reading. Usually, each paragraph has one main
supporting idea.
3. Make an outline of the reading that includes all of the main ideas.
4. Use your outline to write a draft of your summary. Make sure that you paraphrase (don’t copy)
the author’s ideas.
5. Add an introductory sentence at the beginning. This will include the author’s thesis.
6. Add a concluding sentence at the end.
7. Compare your summary with the “Summary Checklist.”
8. Revise your draft for grammar and clarity.