MODAL VERBS

OUGHT TO. SHOULD. EMOTIONAL SHOULD.

 Ought to. Should
 has only one form = reference to the
present and future
 remain unchanged in reported speech
 Ought to. Should: Meanings
Ought to Should
Obligation (advisability/desirability)
(+; -; ?)
 ought to + simple infinitive – refers  should + simple infinitive – refers
the action to the future or present the action to the future or present
(only with stative verbs) (only with stative verbs)
E. g. I think for your wife and children's E. g. You should go to bed. (future)
sake you ought to have a try. (future) E. g. You shouldn’t feel so unhappy
E. g. You ought to feel some respect to over such trifles. (present)
your elders. (present)

 ought to + continuous infinitive –  should + continuous infinitive –

refers the action to the present refers the action to the present
E. g. At your age you ought to be E. g. You shouldn’t be sitting in the
earning your living. (present) sun. Move out of it into the shade.
(present)
 
 Ought to Should
 ought to + perfect infinitive (+) –  ought to + perfect infinitive (+) –
shows that a desirable action was shows that a desirable action was
not fulfilled not fulfilled
E. g. You ought to have told me about E. g. You ought to have told me about
it – Вам слід було (потрібно було) it – Вам слід було (потрібно було)
сказати мені про це. сказати мені про це.

 ought to + perfect infinitive (-) –  should + perfect infinitive (-) –

shows that an undesirable action was
fulfilled
E. g. You ought not to have mentioned
it. – Вам не слід було (не потрібно
було) згадувати про це.
shows that an undesirable action was
fulfilled
E. g. You should not have mentioned it.
– Вам не слід було (не потрібно було)
згадувати про це.
 Ought to Should
Supposition implying strong probability
(+)
 ought to + simple infinitive – refers  should + simple infinitive – refers
the action to the present the action to the present
E. g. The new house ought to be very E. g. The film should be very good as it
comfortable. is starring first-class actors.
The use of ought to and should is not very common in this meaning as this
meaning is usually rendered by must
had better can be used instead of should/ ought to, especially in spoken English,
to say that we think it would be sensible or advisable to do something.
However, we don’t use it to talk about the past or to make general comments.

E.g. If you’re not well, you should/ought to ask Ann to go instead. - If you’re not
well, you had better ask Ann to go instead.
E. g. I don’t think parents should/ ought to give their children sweets. (not … had
better…) (general comment)
 Must, Should, Ought to, To be to
Must Should Ought to
Obligation Obligation Obligation
(from the speaker’s (advisability/desirability) (advisability/desirability)
point of view)
(+; ?) (+; -; ?) (+; -; ?)
 more forceful  is common in  more emphatic, more
instructions and stress on the moral
corrections obligation
 Must Should Ought to
Supposition implying strong probability (+)
 more frequent in this
meaning
 Should, Ought to, To be to
compared
Should + perfect Ought to + perfect Was (were) to + perfect
infinitive infinitive infinitive
 The action has not  The action has not  The action has not
been carried out been carried out been carried out
though it was though it was though it was
desirable. desirable. desirable.
E. g. You should have E. g. You ought to have E. g. He was to have
helped me. (Now I am in helped me. (Now I am in come to Kyiv last week.
trouble) trouble) (But his plans were upset
and he didn’t)
 Emotional Should
Special emphatic constructions
 rhetorical questions beginning with why
E. g. Why should I help him? (Чому це раптом я повинен йому допомагати?)
 object clauses beginning with why
E. g. I don’t understand why we shouldn’t be friends. – Я не розумію, чому би нам
не потоваришувати.
 appositive clauses beginning with why after the word reason
E. g. There is no reason why they shouldn’t get on very well together. – Немає
причини для того, щоб вони не жили в злагоді.
 constructions of the following kind:
E. g. The door opened and who should come in but Tom. – Двері відкрилися, і хто
би ви думали зайшов? Ніхто інший, як Том.
 set phrase
How should I know? – Звідки ж мені знати! Як я маю знати!
 Certain type of subordinate clauses
(where should + infinitive is interchangeable with a simple predicate in the
Indicative Mood)
 object clauses following the principle clause with it as a formal subject
E. g. It is wonderful that he should know so many interesting things. – Як чудово,
що він знає так багато цікавого.

In the principle clause: 1) it is wonderful, it is natural, it is strange, it is

singular, it is absurd, it is terrible, it is monstrous, it outraged me, it startled
me etc.; 2) interrogative and negative expressions as: Is it possible? Is it likely?
Is it probable? It is not (im)possible, It is not (un)likely, It is not (im)probable.

The rules of the sequence of tenses are not observed here. If the action of the
subordinate clause precedes that of the principle clause, the perfect infinitive is
used after should.
E. g. It is natural that she should have asked that question. – Абсолютно
природньо, що вона задала таке запитання.
E. g. It was strange that he should not have mentioned it at all. – Було
дивно, що він взагалі не згадав про це.
 in object clauses after expressions of regret, surprise, sometimes pleasure
or displeasure
E. g. I am sorry that you should think so badly of me. – Шкода, що ви про
мене такої поганої думки.
E. g. He was a little surprised that Ann should speak so frankly about it. –
Його трохи здивував той факт, що Анна так відкрито про це говорить.

The rules of sequence of tenses are not observed here either. The perfect
infinitive is used to show that the action of the subordinate clause precedes
that of the principle one.
 constructions of the following kind:
E. g. That it should come to this! – До чого ж дійшла справа!
To think that it should come to this! – Тільки уявіть собі, до чого дійшла
справа!
To think that it should have happened to me! – Уявіть собі, що таке
трапилося зі мною!