What is difference between should and ought to

by Yogi P - October 19, 2023

Difference between should and ought to

Are you familiar with two commonly confused English words: should and ought to?

Many English speakers are often confused by the words should and ought to. While their meanings are very similar, they carry different implications, shades of meaning, and range of usage. In this article, we’ll explore the nuances of these two words, providing examples to illustrate how they should be used in sentences.

Should

The term should usually acts as a modal auxiliary verb to indicate an obligation or express a duty. It can also be used to express a certainty, make an assumption, or suggest an opinion or advice. In other words, it can be used to denote a variety of meanings, such as “to be obliged or expected to”, “to be correct or likely to”, and “to be required”.

Some of the various meanings of should include:

• Used to indicate obligation or duty to oneself or another
• Used to express a desirable or expected state
• Used to express expected or predictable behavior

Should can be used as a conjunction, an adverb, or an auxiliary verb to express obligation, make recommendations, or suggest expectations. For example:

• You should complete your homework before going out to play.
• It should be ready by tomorrow.

Ought to

The term ought to is also used to express an obligation or duty but has a stronger sense of should. It is a form of should that is used to make a recommendation, suggestion, or ask for advice. It is similar to should in meaning, but is used in more formal contexts and has a stronger sense of obligation or responsibility.

Some of the various meanings of ought to include:

• Used to indicate obligation or duty to oneself or another
• Used to express probability, expectancy, or likelihood

Ought to can be used as an adverb to express expectations, make recommendations, or talk about probabilities or suggestions. For example:

• You ought to finish your work on time.
• The test results ought to be ready by the end of the week.

Difference between should and ought to – Meaning and Usage:

The key difference between should and ought to is in their levels of politeness. Ought to is significantly more polite and suggests that one has an obligation to do something, while should is less polite and simply expresses what is expected or desirable.

Both words can be used to express obligation or duty, but should sounds less authoritative.

In terms of usage, should is used to express obligation or duty to oneself or another, while ought to is used to express expectancy or probability. Should is also used to express what is expected or desirable, while ought to can be used to make recommendations.

Examples of difference between should and ought to:

To help illustrate the differences between these two words, consider the following examples:

• Should: You should be more careful with your words. (express expectation)
• Ought to: We ought to consider all the options before making a decision. (make a recommendation)

• You should be careful not to hurt your knee.
  You ought to be careful not to hurt your knee.
• It should be raining soon.
  It ought to be raining soon.
• I should cook dinner.
  I ought to cook dinner.
• We should go for a walk.
  We ought to go for a walk.

Table summarizing the difference between “should” and “ought to”

Activity to Enhance Understanding:

To strengthen your understanding of these two words, why not try a fun and interactive activity? The next time you come across a text containing either should or ought to, try to identify how they are used in the context. Was it to express expectation, obligation, probability, or to make a recommendation? Doing this activity will help you to better distinguish between these two words.

Conclusion

In conclusion, should and ought to are two commonly confused words used to indicate obligation, duty, or correctness. The key difference between should and ought to lies in their levels of politeness: ought to being more polite and suggesting that one has an obligation to do something, whereas should is less polite and simply expresses what is expected or desirable.

Should expresses obligation or duty to oneself or another, while ought to is used to express expectancy or probability.

With the help of examples and an activity, hopefully you now have a better understanding of how to use should and ought to correctly.