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What (who) is ought - definition
ought
WIKIMEDIA DISAMBIGUATION PAGE
Ought (disambiguation)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
Note: 'Ought to' is a phrasal modal verb. It is used with the base form of a verb. The negative form of 'ought to' is 'ought not to', which is sometimes shortened to 'oughtn't to' in spoken English.
1.
You use ought to to mean that it is morally right to do a particular thing or that it is morally right for a particular situation to exist, especially when giving or asking for advice or opinions.
Mark, you've got a good wife. You ought to take care of her...
You ought to be ashamed of yourselves. You've created this problem.
= should
PHRASE
2.
You use ought to when saying that you think it is a good idea and important for you or someone else to do a particular thing, especially when giving or asking for advice or opinions.
You don't have to be alone with him and I don't think you ought to be...
You ought to ask a lawyer's advice...
We ought not to be quarrelling now.
= should
PHRASE
3.
You use ought to to indicate that you expect something to be true or to happen. You use ought to have to indicate that you expect something to have happened already.
'This ought to be fun,' he told Alex, eyes gleaming.
= should
PHRASE
4.
You use ought to to indicate that you think that something should be the case, but might not be.
By rights the Social Democrats ought to be the favourites in the election. But nothing looks less certain...
Though this gives them a nice feeling, it really ought to worry them.
= should
PHRASE
5.
You use ought to to indicate that you think that something has happened because of what you know about the situation, but you are not certain.
He ought to have reached the house some time ago.
= should
PHRASE [vagueness]
6.
You use ought to have with a past participle to indicate that something was expected to happen or be the case, but it did not happen or was not the case.
Basically the system ought to have worked...
The money to build the power station ought to have been sufficient.
PHRASE
7.
You use ought to have with a past participle to indicate that although it was best or correct for someone to do something in the past, they did not actually do it.
I realize I ought to have told you about it...
Perhaps we ought to have trusted people more...
I ought not to have asked you a thing like that. I'm sorry...
I'm beginning to feel now we oughtn't to have let her go away like that.
PHRASE
8.
You use ought to when politely telling someone that you must do something, for example that you must leave.
I really ought to be getting back now...
I think I ought to go.
= should
PHRASE [politeness]
Ought
WIKIMEDIA DISAMBIGUATION PAGE
Ought (disambiguation)
·- of Owe.
II. Ought (·noun & ·adv) ·see Aught.
III. Ought ·Impf, ·p.p., or ·v·aux Owned; possessed.
IV. Ought ·Impf, ·p.p., or ·v·aux Was or were under obligation to pay; owed.
V. Ought ·Impf, ·p.p., or ·v·aux To be bound in duty or by moral obligation.
VI. Ought ·Impf, ·p.p., or ·v·aux To be necessary, fit, becoming, or expedient; to Behoove;
- in this sense formerly sometimes used impersonally or without a subject expressed.
ought
WIKIMEDIA DISAMBIGUATION PAGE
Ought (disambiguation)
ought1
¦ modal verb (3rd singular present and past ought)
1. used to indicate duty or correctness.
used to indicate a desirable or expected state.
used to give or ask advice.
2. used to indicate something that is probable.
Origin
OE ahte, past tense of agan 'owe' (see owe).
Usage
Ought is an example of a modal verb, and does not behave like ordinary verbs. In particular, the negative is formed with the word not alone and not also with auxiliary verbs such as do or have. The standard construction for the negative is he ought not to have gone: the forms he didn't ought to have gone and he hadn't ought to have gone are not acceptable in standard modern English.
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ought2
(also aught)
¦ noun archaic term for nought.
Origin
C19: perh. from an ought, by wrong division of a nought.
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ought3
¦ pronoun variant spelling of aught1.
Examples of use of ought
1. It ought to do less and it ought to do it better and, in particular, it ought to start returning powers to the member states."
2. "I believe that Plan B ought to be –– ought to require a prescription for minors.
3. "They ought to be able to vote; they ought to be able to have a job.
4. "She ought to be released and she ought to be released immediately." Human Rights Watch called the Iranian allegations absurd.
5. "They ought to be treated with extreme deference and they ought to be told they are heroes of Israel.