- •Передмова
- •The noun
- •Guide to Forming Plurals
- •Irregular plurals
- •Inanimate nouns in personification
- •Exercises
- •London Favourite Stores
- •The article
- •Special difficulties in the use of articles
- •Exercises
- •Esop and his Fables
- •The farmer and his Sons
- •In Search of …Good Job
- •Exercise 23
- •The adjective
- •The Category of Degrees of Comparison
- •Irregular Comparative and Superlative Forms
- •Comparative Constructions with the Adjectives
- •Some difficulties in the use of the Adjective: Degrees of Comparison
- •Adjectives referring to Countries, Nationalities and Languages
- •Nationalities
- •Compound Adjectives
- •Word Order of Adjectives before a Noun
- •Noun modifiers
- •Adverbs Or Adjectives: confusing cases.
- •Adjectives ending in –ed: pronunciation
- •Exercises
- •Never Again!
- •Exercise 25
- •A Bigger Heart
- •Modal verbs
- •Can / could
- •Exercises
- •May / might
- •Exercises
- •Must, have to, be to
- •Exercises
- •____________ Have to
- •Dare and need
- •Exercises
- •Shall / should, ought to
- •Exercises
- •How would you cope around the world?
- •Will / would
- •Exercises
- •General review of all modals
- •Instructions:
- •(The Verbals)
- •The Infinitive
- •The Predicative
- •The Object
- •The Attribute
- •The Adverbial Modifier of Purpose
- •The Adverbial Modifier of Result.
- •The Secondary Predicative
- •Infinitive without Particle to (Bare Infinitive)
- •Omitted “to”
- •Reduced Infinitive
- •Infinitive constructions
- •The Objective-with-the-Infinitive Construction
- •The Subjective Infinitive Construction
- •The Subject
- •The Object
- •Beach Safety
- •Exercise 35
- •It is important / useful / necessary /
- •The gerund
- •The Subject
- •The Predicative
- •The Direct Object
- •The Prepositional Object
- •The Attribute
- •The Adverbial Modifier
- •The Subject
- •The Predicative
- •The Direct Object
- •The Prepositional Object
- •The Attribute
- •The Adverbial Modifier
- •Exercises
- •The participle
- •The Objective Participial Construction
- •The Subjective Participial Construction
- •The Nominative Absolute Participial Construction
- •Exercises
- •Survival for hikers
- •Exercise 34
- •General review of all verbals
- •Forms Expressing Unreality in Different Types of Subordinate Clauses
- •The Use of the Subjunctive Mood in Conditional Sentences
- •The First Conditional
- •The Second Conditional
- •The Third Conditional
- •Exercises
- •Exercise 10
- •In the President’s Chair
- •Would you stay silent if …
- •Would you feel afraid of if …
- •Would you cry if …
- •List of Sources
- •Internet Sources
- •Contents
Shall / should, ought to
Modal verbs “should” and “ought to” are unchangeable. The difference in the meanings of these two verbs is sometimes very vague, therefore they are often interchangeable. Unlike the verb “should” which is used to express an individual opinion, the verb “ought” expresses something which is generally accepted or naturally expected under the circumstances.
“Shall” is still used to express obligation with the second and third person, but at present this use is restricted to formal or even archaic style and is mainly found in subordinate clauses (e.g. It has been decided that the second reading shall not be opposed). The verb “shall” is used only with the indefinite infinitive. At present it is generally used to express threats, warnings, promise.
Meaning |
Forms of the modal verbs |
Other was of expressing the same meaning |
Sentence patterns |
Promise (in statements and negatives) |
Smb shall do; smb shan’t do |
You are sure to get … |
Don’t worry, you shall have a minute’s rest before the meeting begins. |
Threat and warning (in statements and negatives) |
Smb shall do; smb shan’t do |
_ |
You shall be sorry. Put on your warm coat or you shall be sick. |
Asking for instructions (in questions) |
Shall smb do smth? |
Must I do it? Do you want me to do it? Am I to do it? |
Shall I read the text again? Shall I do it? |
Advice and mild obligation (in statements, questions and negatives) |
Shouldn’t smb do…? Should smb do …? Ought smb to do…? Oughtn’t smb to do smth? |
_ |
You should take this medicine three times a day before your meals. |
Criticism of a past action (in statements and negatives) |
Should have done Shouldn’t have done Ought to have done Oughtn’t to have done |
_ |
You ought to / should be speaking more clearly. You oughtn’t to / shouldn’t have done it. |
Supposition implying probability (in statements and negatives) |
Should do Shouldn’t do Ought to do Oughtn’t to do |
Very likely …; It’s likely smb …; Most likely smb …; Very probably smb ; I think it’s probable that …; Probably not…; It’s unlikely that …; I don’t think smb … |
Our guests should (ought to) be here soon (if they haven’t got lost). This homework shouldn’t (oughtn’t to) take you too long (if you’ve understood what you have to do). You should pass the exam (you’ve worked hard). |
Emotional “should” (mostly in questions) |
Why should smb do smth? Why should smb have done smth? |
_ |
Why should I go there? Why should he have told you the truth? |
Note:
In its meaning of promise shall refers only to the future. In indirect speech the form should is used to denote a relatively future action.
Ought in its suppositional meaning is used to express probability about the present or future only.