Word: Ought

Pronunciation

/ɔːt/

Definitions

• Modal Verb: Used to indicate obligation, duty, or correctness, typically when giving advice or stating what should be done in a particular situation. It often expresses moral or ethical considerations.
  • Example: “You ought to study harder for your exams.”
• Auxiliary Verb: To indicate that something is probable or desirable based on logical reasoning or expectation.
  • Example: “It ought to rain soon; the sky is very dark.”

Phrases

• “Ought to do something”: This phrase suggests a strong moral or practical obligation to perform a certain action.
  • Example: “You ought to apologize for your behavior.”
• “Ought not to do something”: Expresses that it would be better or more appropriate not to do something.
  • Example: “You ought not to smoke so much; it’s bad for your health.”

Example Sentences

• Modal Verb: “They ought to arrive by noon if they left early this morning.”
• Auxiliary Verb: “Given how much effort she put in, she ought to succeed.”

Synonyms

• Should (in terms of indicating obligation or advisability)
• Needs to (when expressing necessity)
• Is expected to (for probability or likelihood)

Note: “Ought” is not classified under any specific part of speech like noun, adjective, adverb, etc., but rather functions as a modal verb in English grammar. Modal verbs express modality—providing additional meaning to the main verb in a sentence by indicating possibility, necessity, permission, or obligation.