Should, Ought To and Had Better
B1 · IntermediateModal VerbsShould, ought to, and had better all give advice, but each has its own grammar quirks and its own level of urgency.
What you'll learn
- Should + base verb — the everyday, neutral way to give advice
- Ought to + base verb — a close synonym of should, slightly more formal
- Had better + base verb — a stronger warning, implying a bad consequence if ignored
- Had better looks like a past form but refers to the present or near future
Three ways to advise, three levels of strength
Should, ought to, and had better all give advice, but they sit at different points on a scale from mild suggestion to urgent warning.
Should vs. ought to
Should and ought to mean almost the same thing, but ought to keeps its to in every form — unlike should, which never takes to. Ought to is also less common in negatives and questions, where should is far more natural.
Had better: a stronger warning
Had better is stronger than should or ought to — it usually implies something bad will happen if the advice isn't followed. Despite looking like a past tense (had), it's about the present or near future, not the past.
Real English
Watch out
Unlike should, ought always keeps to before the base verb.
Had better is followed directly by the base verb, with no to.
The negative of had better is formed with not right after better, not with wouldn't.
Real life — Getting ready to leave
"We should leave soon, the traffic will be bad."
"You're right. You'd better grab your coat too, it's cold out."
"Good call. Ought we to call ahead and let them know?"
"Probably — better safe than sorry."
Practice
Exercise 1 · Choose the correct sentence
Choose the correct sentence.
Exercise 2 · Choose the correct sentence
Choose the correct sentence.
Exercise 3 · Choose the correct negative
Choose the correct negative with ought to.
Exercise 4 · Choose the correct answer
Choose the sentence that warns most strongly of a bad consequence if ignored.
Exercise 5 · Choose the correct sentence
Choose the correct sentence.
Exercise 6 · Choose the correct answer
Which form looks like a past tense but is not actually about the past?
Exercise 7 · Choose the correct negative
Choose the correct negative with had better.
Exercise 8 · Choose the correct question
Choose the correct question with ought to.
Exercise 9 · Complete the sentence
Complete: 'You ___ (had better) hurry, or we'll miss the flight.'
Exercise 10 · Complete the sentence
Complete: 'You ___ (ought/apologize) to her.'
Exercise 11 · Sort into groups
0 / 6 sorted
Quick challenge
Five quick questions to check what stuck.
Question 1 / 5
Score: 0/0
Choose the correct sentence.
You learned
- Should is the everyday, neutral way to give advice.
- Ought to means almost the same as should, but always keeps to.
- Had better is stronger, warning of a bad consequence if ignored.
- Had better refers to the present or near future, despite looking like a past form.
Related grammar lessons
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