ought to

ought to — 動詞

1. used to express that a particular action is the right one to take based on moral

1.動詞A2
釋義

應該；應當

基於道義或理智該做的事

used to express that a particular action is the right one to take based on moral rules, social expectations, or good judgment — for example, feeling that you ought to help a friend in trouble or that a government ought to protect vulnerable people.

例句

Eric knew he ought to apologise to his sister for his harsh comments.

Eric 知道他應該為自己苛刻的言論向妹妹道歉。

ought to + base verb for moral obligation

Parents ought to spend more time listening to their children's worries and hopes.

父母應該多花時間聆聽孩子的憂慮和心願。

常見搭配
  • ought to + base verb
  • ought to have + past participle
  • ought not to + base verb
同義詞
  • should

    Nearly identical in meaning; 'should' is more common in everyday speech, while 'ought to' sounds slightly more formal or emphatic.

  • must

    Stronger — 'must' expresses urgent obligation or a rule, whereas 'ought to' is advice or moral expectation.

  • had better

    Carries a warning of negative consequences if the action is not taken ('You had better finish that report').

反義詞
  • should not

    Negative counterpart expressing that an action is morally wrong or inadvisable.

文法句型

ought to + base verb

ought to have + past participle

ought not to + base verb

用法筆記

Softer than 'must' — 'ought to' gives advice or expresses moral duty rather than a forceful requirement. The negative form is 'ought not to' (formal) or, more commonly, 'should not' / 'shouldn't' in everyday speech. 'Ought to' does not change form for third-person singular (no 'oughts to'). In questions, the formal structure is 'Ought we to...?' but most speakers use 'Should we...?' instead.

常見錯誤

You ought visit your grandmother more often.
You ought to visit your grandmother more often.
'Ought' must be followed by 'to' before the base verb in affirmative statements.
You don't ought to say that.
You ought not to say that.
The negative is formed with 'ought not to', not with 'do/does/did' support.
She oughts to call her mother.
She ought to call her mother.
'Ought' is invariable; it does not add -s for third-person singular.

2. expresses the idea that something will probably happen or is very likely true, b

2.動詞B1
釋義

應該會

依常理推測可能發生

expresses the idea that something will probably happen or is very likely true, based on normal experience or on evidence you have — for example, saying that the train ought to arrive in ten minutes or that the keys ought to be in the drawer where you left them.

例句

The delivery ought to arrive before noon because the driver left the warehouse at nine.

送貨員九點就離開倉庫了，包裹應該會在中午前送達。

ought to + base verb for expected event with reason clause

Eshe has been practising for months, so she ought to pass the driving test easily.

Eshe 已經練習好幾個月了，所以她應該會輕鬆通過駕照考試。

常見搭配
  • ought to + base verb
  • ought to have + past participle
  • ought to be + location or state
同義詞
  • should

    Interchangeable in this prediction sense; 'should' is more frequent in casual conversation.

  • be likely to

    More explicit about probability; 'ought to' implies the speaker's reasonable expectation.

  • be supposed to

    Suggests expectation based on plan or schedule rather than general probability.

反義詞
  • ought not to

    Negative form expressing that something is unlikely or not expected to happen.

文法句型

ought to + base verb

ought to have + past participle

用法筆記

Often used with time expressions ('by now', 'soon', 'by four o'clock') and with a reason clause explaining why the expectation is reasonable. The past form 'ought to have + past participle' expresses that something was expected to have happened already ('The train ought to have arrived by now'). Distinguished from sense 1 by being about prediction and probability rather than moral duty or advice.

常見錯誤

He oughts to be home by now.
He ought to be home by now.
'Ought' is invariable regardless of person or number.
The package ought arrive today.
The package ought to arrive today.
The 'to' is always required before the base verb.