Modal Verbs: Should, Ought to, and Had Better
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Really Learn English
Modal Verbs Should, Ought to, and Had Better
Rules
Examples
Stories
Exercises
Final Test
Illustrated
Workbook
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Modal Verbs: Should, Ought to, and Had Better
Published by Really Learn English
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Copyright © 2014 Ola Zur.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced
or transmitted in any form, by any means,
without written permission from the author,
except a reviewer, who may quote
brief passages for a review.
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents ........................................................................................ 3
Modal Verbs ................................................................................................ 5
Semi-Modal Verbs ......................................................................................11
Unit A – Should...........................................................................................15
Lesson 1 – Expressing What Is Best with Should .....................................15
Exercise 1 ................................................................................................17
Exercise 2 ................................................................................................18
Exercise 3 – Role Play ..............................................................................20
Story 1 – Should ..................................................................................22
Unit B – Ought to........................................................................................23
Lesson 1 – Expressing Obligation with Ought to ......................................23
Exercise 4 ................................................................................................25
Exercise 5 ................................................................................................27
Exercise 6 – Role Play ..............................................................................29
Story 2 – Ought To ..............................................................................31
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Unit C – Had Better ....................................................................................32
Lesson 1 – Showing Obligation with Had Better ......................................32
Exercise 7 ................................................................................................35
Exercise 8 ................................................................................................36
Exercise 9 – Role Play ..............................................................................38
Story 3 – Had Better ............................................................................39
Rule Summary ............................................................................................40
Should, Ought to, and Had Better .......................................................40
Contraction .........................................................................................40
Usages.................................................................................................40
Positive Sentences, Negative Sentences, and Questions .....................41
Final Test ....................................................................................................42
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Modal Verbs
Modal verbs are special kinds of verbs in English. They show things like
ability, possibility, necessity, obligation, or permission.
For example: We should eat vegetables. Should is a modal verb. It shows
that something is a good idea or the best thing to do.
Modal verbs are special because they cannot be used alone. They must
always be used with another verb in its base form.
For example: “We should” is not a complete sentence. It simply means
something is the best thing for us to do, but we don’t know what. We must
use another verb after should: We should eat vegetables.
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Some more examples:
Correct: She should read this book.
Incorrect: She should this book.
Correct: You should have coffee with us.
Incorrect: You should coffee with us.
Correct: We should start the lesson!
Incorrect: We should the lesson!
Quick Exercise 1
Explain in your own words: What are modal verbs? What’s special about
them?
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Modal verbs have only one form. We don't add -ing, -ed, or -s to them.
For example:
Correct: She should listen.
Incorrect: She shoulds listen.
Correct: We should travel more.
Incorrect: We are shoulding travel more.
Correct: They said we should visit this park.
Incorrect: They said we shoulded visit this park.
Modal verbs have a special sentence structure for negative sentences and
questions.
To form questions, we use the modal verb itself and change the order.
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For example:
Correct: Should he come to the meeting today?
Incorrect: Does he should come to the meeting today?
Correct: Should you get up earlier?
Incorrect: Should do you get up earlier?
Correct: Should we go to the museum?
Incorrect: Will we should go to the museum?
Quick Exercise 2
Write 3 questions using the modal verb should.
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To form negative sentences, we use the modal verb itself and add "not" or
"n't" to it.
For example:
Correct: He shouldn’t worry about it.
Incorrect: He doesn’t should worry about it.
Correct: We shouldn’t leave without saying goodbye.
Incorrect: We won’t should leave without saying goodbye.
Correct: You shouldn’t spend so much time on the computer.
Incorrect: You do not should spend so much time on the computer.
Quick Exercise 3
Write 3 negative sentences using the modal verb should.
For example: I shouldn’t eat too much candy.
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As we saw, one very common modal verb is should. This modal verb is used
to say that something is a good idea, or that it is the best thing to do.
For example:
I should ask for help.
Jim should take a break.
You should explain your opinion at the meeting.
Notice that in all of the sentences above, should is followed directly by
another verb in its base form. The modal verb should only shows that
something is the best thing to do. The idea is not complete without another
verb!
Incorrect: We should our schedule.
This sentence doesn’t make sense! What should we do with our schedule?
Correct: We should change our schedule.
Now the idea is complete. Remember
that a modal verb must always be
followed by another verb in its base form.
As you can see, the grammar of modal
verbs is very simple! This is great!
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Semi-Modal Verbs
Semi- means partly. So semi-modal verbs are “verbs that are partly like
modal verbs.”
Semi-modal verbs have this name because they are partly like modal verbs
and partly like regular verbs. This is because they show the same meaning
as modal verbs, but they follow the grammar of regular verbs.
Almost every modal verb has a semi-modal verb with a similar meaning.
For example, should is a modal verb. Ought to is a semi-modal verb
because it has the preposition “to.” Both verbs show that something is the
best thing to do.
For example:
Should: She should try playing basketball.
Ought to: She ought to try playing basketball.
Should: They should read this book.
Ought to: They ought to read this book.
Should: You should take a picture of that zebra!
Ought to: You ought to take a picture of that zebra!
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In this booklet, we will study two semi-modal verbs. They are ought to and
had better. Had better has a similar meaning to should and ought to, but it
is stronger. It means that someone should do something, or there will be
negative consequences. A “consequence” is a negative result for an action.
These are semi-modal verbs because they are longer than normal modal
verbs, which are just one word.
Semi-modal verbs usually follow regular grammar rules for normal English
verbs, but ought to and had better are special!
Just like regular modal verbs, ought to and had better do not change their
forms. We don't add -ing, -ed, or -s to them.
For example:
Correct: He ought to arrive on time
Incorrect: He oughts to arrive on time.
Correct: We ought to go on vacation!
Incorrect: We are oughting to go on vacation!
Correct: We ought to call her.
Incorrect: We oughted to call her.
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Ought to and had better are also special because we do not use them in
questions. We only use the modal verb should in questions!
For example:
Correct: Should he sit down while he waits?
Incorrect: Had he better sit down while he waits?
Correct: Should I bring a book to read?
Incorrect: Ought I to bring a book to read?
The negative form of ought to is ought not to. The negative form of had
better is had better not.
Ought not to has the same meaning as shouldn’t. It means that it is not a
good idea to do something. Had better not is similar, but it has a stronger
meaning. If you had better not do something, it means that you really
shouldn’t do it, or there will be trouble!
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Here are some examples:
Correct: You ought not to think about the presentation.
Incorrect: You ought to not think about the presentation.
Correct: He had better not forget today’s meeting!
Incorrect: He had not better forget today’s meeting!
Quick Exercise 4
What is a semi-modal verb? What is special about how we use ought to and
had better?
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Unit A – Should
Lesson 1 – Expressing What Is Best with Should
The modal verb should talks about the best thing for us to do. If you say,
“He should do it,” that means you think that the best idea is for him to do
it. If we want to use the negative form, we use should not or shouldn’t.
We use should very often if we want to give or ask for advice.
For example:
I think you should stop smoking.
If you ask me, he should tell his boss what he thinks.
They should talk less during the meetings.
What should we do today?
Where do you think he should go to college?
When should they call Emily?
He shouldn’t be so negative.
They shouldn’t stay up so late at night.
You shouldn’t go to work today!
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It is important to remember that we don’t use should in the simple past or
the simple future! Should talks about the best thing to do, so it really talks
about a possible action, not something we already did.
We understand that should talks about the present or the very near future.
For example, if I say, “You should review the examples,” I mean that I think
it’s a very good idea for you to review the examples right now or in the near
future.
Quick Exercise 5
Ask for advice on 3 problems. Then give advice about each problem.
For example: What should we do this weekend? We should go to the park.
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Exercise 1
A. Box 1 has questions asking for advice. Box 2 has suggestions about the
best thing to do. Match the questions from Box 1 with the suggestions
from Box 2.
Box 1 – Asking for advice
1. What time should I call you?
2. Where should we go for dinner?
3. Who should I talk to about math classes?
4. Should I try this juice?
5. Should I travel by bus?
Box 2 – Suggestions
a. Yes, you should! It’s delicious!
b. You should call at 2:45pm.
c. You should speak to Cynthia.
d. No, you should take the subway.
e. We should try the new Thai restaurant.
1. ________
2. ________
3. ________
4. ________
5. ________
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Exercise 2
A. Look at the pictures and descriptions below. Write sentences for each
picture.
1. That pizza looks good. The best thing the chef
can do is put some cheese on it.
He ____________________________________
_______________________________________
2. Stan looks so stressed! It’s a good idea for him
to relax.
He ____________________________________
_______________________________________
3. He has an excellent idea! The best thing to do
is write it down.
He ____________________________________
_______________________________________
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B. Look at each picture and description. Write the advice each person will
give you (what they think is the best thing for you to do).
1. He thinks that the best thing to do is laugh
every day.
You _________________________________
_____________________________________
2. He thinks that the best thing to do is test your
ideas.
You _________________________________
_____________________________________
3. She thinks that the best thing to do is make
new friends.
You __________________________________
______________________________________
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Exercise 3 – Role Play
A. Work with a partner. First, rewrite the questions below using “should.”
These questions all ask for advice. Then look at the pictures and
descriptions on the next page. Choose one of the pictures and pretend to
be that person. Your partner will ask you for advice using the questions
you made together. You will answer as the person in the picture. Then
change roles.
1. What is the best thing to do to be healthy?
What should I ________________________________________________
2. What is the best thing to do to be happy?
What should I ________________________________________________
3. What is the best thing to do to relax?
What should I ________________________________________________
4. What is the best thing to do to learn about the world?
What should I ________________________________________________
5. What is the best thing to do to learn English?
What should I ________________________________________________
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□ Partner A
She thinks it is best to:
Take long walks to keep in shape
Spend time with family to feel good
Go outside to reduce stress
Travel and learn about other places
Talk to people as much as you can
□ Partner B
He thinks it is best to:
Eat lots of fruits and vegetables
Laugh with friends to feel good
Read a book quietly to feel calm
Read a lot about different places to
understand them
Study lots of vocabulary and grammar
to improve your English
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Story 1 – Should
Carla and Georgia are friends. Carla wants advice, so she asks Georgia.
“I’m thinking about getting an apartment of my own, but I’m not sure. I’m
very forgetful, and my mom helps me a lot now. What should I do?”
“Well,” says Georgia, “you should talk to your mom about it.”
“I did, and she thinks I should start looking for a place!” replies Carla.
“Great,” Georgia says. “You should think of how to be more organized. You
should make lists for yourself so you don’t forget what you have to do.”
“Should I write down dates for paying bills?” asks Carla.
“That’s a great example! But you should also make lists for other things,
like doing the laundry or watering the plants,” suggests Georgia.
“That’s a great idea! You should help me. You’re so organized. Let’s go start
practicing right now!” says Carla, standing up.
“Well, here’s a first step,” says Georgia. “I think that before we leave, we
shouldn’t forget to pay!”
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Unit B – Ought to
Lesson 1 – Expressing Obligation with Ought to
As we saw, ought to is a semi-modal verb because it has “to” attached to it.
Remember that ought to follows the same grammar rules as modal verbs,
so we don’t add “-s,” “-ed,” or “-ing” to it. But we always use “to” after it,
right before our verb!
The negative of ought to is ought not to. It is very uncommon to use
“oughtn’t to.”
Ought to has the same meaning as should, but it sounds a bit more formal.
Remember that just like should, we only use ought to in the simple present
because it talks about the best thing to do in the present or in the near
future.
Here are some examples:
I think you ought to take some time off.
They ought to come with us to the movie.
I ought to try going to dance lessons.
You ought not to watch too much television.
You ought not to miss the program on
dolphins tonight!
Children ought not to cross the street alone.
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It’s important to remember that we don’t usually use ought to in questions.
If we want to ask about the best thing for us to do, we use should.
For example:
Correct: Should we pack our own lunches?
Incorrect: Ought we to pack our own lunches?
Correct: When should I visit you?
Incorrect: When ought I to visit you?
Quick Exercise 6
Write about 3 things you ought to do and 3 things you ought not to do.
For example: I ought to eat healthy. I ought not to drink so much coffee.
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Exercise 4
A. Rewrite the following sentences with “ought to” or “ought not to.”
1. Everyone should listen to this CD!
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2. It’s not a good idea for you to walk there. It’s too far!
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3. The best thing is for them to meet the new supervisor today.
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4. It’s not a good idea for her to take the test unless she’s ready.
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5. It’s a great idea for us to buy the tickets while they’re on sale.
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B. Read the following questions asking for advice. Then answer them
using sentences with “ought to.” Say what you think is best!
1. Should I wear a dress to the party, or should I wear something informal?
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_____________________________________________________________
2. Should the children play outside, or should they paint pictures inside?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
3. It’s raining! Should I go to the movies, or should I stay home and read?
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_____________________________________________________________
4. I feel very tired. Should I take a nap, or should I have a strong cup of tea?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
5. I don’t understand. Should I ask a question, or should I look it up later?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
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Exercise 5
A. Look at the following pictures and descriptions. Write sentences for
each one using “ought to” or “ought not to.”
1. They opened a new Natural History Museum!
It’s a great idea to go.
We ____________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
2. It’s a beautiful day! It would be a terrible idea
to stay inside.
We ____________________________________
_______________________________________
3. There is a new fish at the aquarium! It’s a great
idea to take our daughter to see it.
We ____________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
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4. There are new tennis courts at the school! It’s
a wonderful idea for us to go play tennis.
We ____________________________________
_______________________________________
5. His magic tricks are so amazing! It’s a bad idea
to ask how he does them.
We ____________________________________
_______________________________________
6. The mouse looks so happy! It’s not a nice idea
to take his cheese.
We _____________________________________
________________________________________
7. Naomi and Eden live in a beautiful new house.
It’s a great idea to go and visit them!
We _____________________________________
________________________________________
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Exercise 6 – Role Play
A. Janice and Eric have very different opinions! They are good friends, but
they have different ideas about what is best. You can ask them for advice.
Eric will give you one idea, and Janice will say the opposite! Work with a
partner.
Choose to be Partner A or Partner B. Look at the next page and read the
advice Janice or Eric give you out loud to your partner. Your partner must
tell you the opposite of each idea. Then switch roles and let your partner
read his or her advice. Say the opposite!
For example:
Partner A: Janice says I ought to see the new adventure movie.
Partner B: Eric says you ought not to see it!
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□ Partner A – You ask Janice
Janice says I ought to read this book about astronauts.
She also says I ought not to eat broccoli.
Janice says I ought not to take my cell phone to class.
She says I ought to adopt a puppy.
Janice says I ought to take some swimming lessons.
She says I ought to listen to more new music.
She also says I ought not to study so much history.
□ Partner B – You ask Eric
Eric says I ought to watch this documentary about sharks.
He also says I ought not to swim with real sharks!
Eric says I ought not to listen to the radio in the morning.
He says I ought to write all my ideas in a notebook.
Eric says I ought to go explore the mountains.
He says I ought to walk to class every day.
He also says I ought not to drink juice with my breakfast.
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Story 2 – Ought To
Two friends, Vera and Kelly, talk about their plans
for the weekend.
“What should we do this weekend?” Vera asks.
“I think we ought to do something outside because
the weather will be nice,” Kelly suggests.
“Great idea! We ought to go to the park,” Vera says, nodding.
Kelly thinks about it for a moment. “I think we ought to go to the sports
center for some exercise.”
“Oh,” Vera smiles, “they have a new volleyball court. We ought to play!”
“That sounds great!” Kelly says. “I’ll call some friends to play with us.”
“Awesome! I like meeting your friends,” Vera says, and then adds, “I ought
to bring enough apples for everyone in case somebody forgets a healthy
snack.”
“Yes, and we ought to bring extra water bottles and knee pads, too,” Kelly
replies.
“What about a camera? Maybe we ought to bring the camera in case we
want to take pictures after the game!” Vera says.
“That all sounds good,” Kelly agrees. “Great planning ahead! But really, I
think we ought not to forget the volleyball!”
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Unit C – Had Better
Lesson 1 – Showing Obligation with Had Better
The semi-modal verb had better has a similar meaning to should and ought
to, but it is stronger.
If you say, “He had better arrive on time!” you mean that the best thing is
for him to remember, because if he does not, it will be a problem. There
will be negative consequences if he does not arrive on time (for example,
you will be upset or he will be in trouble).
We only use had better in the simple present because it talks about the
best thing to do in the present or in the near future. Remember that we
don’t change the form of had better. We don’t add “-s,” “-ed,” or “-ing.”
For example:
We had better hurry, or we will be late!
I had better clean my room before Mom sees it.
You had better study if you want to pass the test.
They had better call if they will not attend the meeting.
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The negative of had better is had better not. This means that it’s a very bad
idea to do something. If we say, “He had better not spill anything on the
new carpet,” it means that there will be negative consequences if he spills
anything on the carpet.
For example:
Correct: They had better not call after 9:00pm.
Incorrect: They had not better call after 9:00pm.
Correct: She had better not lose her keys!
Incorrect: She not had better lose her keys!
Here are some more examples:
We had better not miss our flight!
My boss had better not give me any more work today.
The cat had better not sleep on my clean clothes!
I had better not forget my camera when I go on vacation.
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Quick Exercise 7
Write 3 things you had better do and 3 things you had better not do.
For example: I had better do my homework. I had better not miss class.
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Exercise 7
A. Rewrite the following sentences with “had better” or “had better not.”
1. Justin really should remember to take his coat.
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_____________________________________________________________
2. We really ought to replace the broken window.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
3. It will be terrible if we miss Felicity’s concert.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
4. It will be really bad if they leave their passports at home!
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
5. George really should prepare the food before the guests arrive.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
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Exercise 8
A. Look at the pictures and descriptions. Say what each person had better
do.
1. The team needs her support! She really should
cheer very loud.
She ____________________________________
_______________________________________
2. He has a very busy day tomorrow. He really
ought to sleep well tonight.
He ____________________________________
_______________________________________
3. There is a lot of work to do! She really should
start working early in the morning.
She ___________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
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B. Look at the pictures and descriptions. Say what we had better not do.
1. The sign says to go right. It is a really bad idea
to go left.
We ____________________________________
_______________________________________
2. It’s almost time for our appointment. We really
should not arrive late.
We ____________________________________
_______________________________________
3. The river is beautiful, but it looks dangerous!
It is a bad idea to swim there.
We ___________________________________
______________________________________
4. That cake is so big! It’s a bad idea to eat the
whole thing.
We __________________________________
______________________________________
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Exercise 9 – Role Play
A. Choose one of the pictures below. Read the sentences about the
person in the picture out loud to your partner. Your partner will give you
advice using “had better.” Then you will switch roles.
For example:
Partner A: I will be in trouble if I don’t finish my homework.
Partner B: Well, then you had better finish it!
□ Partner A
I will be in trouble if:
I let the fire die
I lose the map
I burn the food
I don’t clean the campsite
I don’t pick up all the trash
I don’t cook dinner for the other scouts
□ Partner B
I will be in trouble if:
I hurt myself
I lose control of the ball
I let the other team take the ball
I don’t practice
I don’t pay attention to my teammates
I don’t kick the ball hard
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Story 3 – Had Better
Oscar and Rose are very excited for
Christmas and opening their presents. They
want to help get ready.
“The star is missing!” says Oscar. “We had
better put it on top of the tree.”
“Yes,” Rose agrees, “and we had better
make some snacks for Santa Claus in case
he’s hungry after delivering all those
presents!”
“We had better be very good today. If not, we won’t get good presents!”
says Oscar, sounding a little worried.
“Yes. We had better eat all our vegetables today!” agrees Rose.
“Definitely. We are going to behave so well! Oh, Daddy needs to clean the
garage today. We had better help him!” Oscar says.
“That’s a good idea,” replies Rose. “We’ll help Mommy with dinner, too.”
“Wow, being good is a lot of work!” says Oscar. “Mommy and Daddy had
better notice it and tell Santa Claus!”
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Rule Summary
Should, Ought to, and Had Better
Who? Present Past Future
I/He/She/It You/We/They
should ought to
had better - -
Contraction
should shouldn’t
Usages
Usages Should Ought to Had Better
Usage 1
To show something is the best thing to do in
the present or the near future.
To show something is the best thing to do in the
present or the near future.
(It sounds more formal than “should”)
To show something is the best thing to do in the
present or the near future and that there will be
negative consequences if the action is not done.
Examples James should join our
running team. Terry ought to read this
novel. Christian had better finish
all his work by 6:00pm.
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Positive Sentences, Negative Sentences,
and Questions
Simple Present
Should Ought to Had Better
Positive I should walk. I ought to walk. I had better walk.
Negative I shouldn’t walk. I ought not to
walk. I had better not
walk.
Question Should I walk? - -
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Final Test
A. Write sentences about what the best thing for these people to do. Use
“should” or “had better.” (5 points each)
1. The best thing for Ben to do is write a letter to his sister.
____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
2. The best thing for Linda to do is get ready for her interview.
____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
3. Tim really ought to go to the meeting. There will be trouble if he doesn’t.
____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
4. The best thing for Jenny to do is study her vocabulary.
____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
5. Nick really ought to tie his shoes. He will fall if he doesn’t.
____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
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B. Match the questions from Table 1 with the advice from Table 2.
(3 points each)
Table 1
1. What should I have for lunch?
2. Where should they go on vacation?
3. Should I tell the supervisor I made a mistake?
4. What time should we meet?
5. What instrument should she learn to play?
Table 1
a. We ought to get together around noon.
b. I think they should spend some time in the mountains.
c. You ought to have the Caeser salad. It’s excellent.
d. In my opinion, she should take guitar lessons.
e. Yes, I think you had better tell her!
1. ________
2. ________
3. ________
4. ________
5. ________
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C. Choose the correct modal or semi-modal verb to complete the
sentence. (3 points each)
1. Why _______________ I trust him?
a. should
b. ought
c. had better
2. We _______________ to fix the stairs. Someone might get hurt! That
would be terrible.
a. should
b. ought
c. had better
3. She says we _______________ stay in this hotel because it’s the nicest.
a. should
b. ought
c. had better
4. _______________ they use the company account for this trip?
a. should
b. ought
c. had better
5. The children _______________ to do more art in school.
a. should
b. ought
c. had better
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D. Write advice for each question using “ought to.” (5 points each)
1. Meredith doesn’t know which class to take. She thinks the art history
course sounds very interesting, but the physics class will be more useful.
_____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. Chris and Dennis want to take dance lessons. But before they can start,
they need to pay the class fee.
_____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
3. Laura loves animals. Her neighbor is moving, and he asks her to adopt his
dog. She especially loves dogs!
_____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
4. The class doesn’t understand the math lesson. The teacher gives them
more homework. He says they must do the homework to understand.
_____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
5. Lindsay can’t decide if she wants to have soup or salad with her lunch.
_____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
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E. Write sentences for each situation using “had better” or “had better
not.” (5 points each)
1. Liam wants to play baseball in the house, but this will make his father
very angry!
_____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
2. Robert has a presentation today. It’s important for him to practice, or he
will not give a good explanation of the project.
_____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
3. Clare’s car is making strange noises. It might have a serious problem later
if she doesn’t get it fixed soon!
_____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
4. Kathryn has a lot of work. She is thinking about taking a vacation, but if
she leaves work now, she will be in trouble with her boss.
_____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
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