6.4.1: Could/Should/Ought to/Had Better
- Page ID
- 269954
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Options and Advice — Could vs. Should
| COULD | |
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Oh no! My wallet isn't here in my bag. |
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| MODAL | PLAIN FORM VERB |
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You could |
go back to where you last opened your bag and look around. |
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You could |
walk back along the way you just walked. |
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You could |
search the pockets of your bag / backpack. |
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You could |
ask people if they have seen it. |
Could expresses an idea, option or solution for someone else to take. Could does not express judgment about what is "right" to do. Could leaves the decision making to the other person. It can be used when the other person is [1] a peer (same status, rank, age), [2] is an acquaintance, [3] is greater in status (different rank, social level).| SHOULD | |
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Oh no! My wallet isn't here in my bag. (peer to peer) |
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| MODAL | PLAIN FORM VERB |
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You should |
check the places you have been today. |
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You should |
cancel your credit cards. |
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You should |
notify campus security / police. |
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You should |
arrange to get a new identification card. |
Should expresses opinion about a smart action for someone else to take. Should expresses advice about what is "good" to do. It is used to influence or affect the other person's decision-making. It is used in situations where the other person is [1] a peer (same status, rank, age) [2] is familiar (well known), [3] or is a family member.
Could vs Should-Grammar Quizzes by Julie Sevastopoulos is licensed for use under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International.
Ought to
| OUGHT (TO) / IT'S A GOOD IDEA | |
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| OUGHT | INFINITIVAL FORM |
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You ought |
to use your car less. |
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You ought not |
to use your car so often. |
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You ought |
to not use your car so often. |
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Ought you |
to use your car so often? |
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It's a good idea |
to leave your car in your garage. |
Ought (to) acts very much like a modal except that it is used with an infinitival complement. The modal or the infinitive clause can be negated without much difference in meaning. The question form is not used very much. Ought expresses weaker advisability than have (to).
Had BetterStrong AdvisabilityHad Better (correct) v. Had Better (error)
Had better restricts meaning to future. No tense adjustment (backshifting) can be done when embedded within another clause (e.g., He said that we had better leave immediately. He says that we had better leave immediately.)
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Pop-Q "¹The infinitive is "split" with not.
ought / ought to (Huddleston 3 §2.5.4)
Ought to: Grammar Quizzes by Julie Sevastopoulos is licensed for use under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International.
Had Better: Grammar Quizzes by Julie Sevastopoulos is licensed for use under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International.