Linked Questions
13 questions linked to/from Indispensability of 'to' after 'ought' in British English
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"ought" with or without "to"? [duplicate]
We usually say "ought to" not "ought". (Although more often we say "should"). I wonder when I can say "ought" without "to".
Some examples:
1: Ought I ...
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What is the difference between 'can', 'could', 'may' and 'might'?
I'm a native English speaker and I've been doing some research into English grammar for a programme I'm working on. However, on looking into modal verbs, I've only just come to appreciate how subtle ...
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Why should I use "ought to"?
Is "ought to" still used in modern English? If yes, in what contexts is it used, and is it used more in formal or informal cases?
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What modal verbs do natives use nowadays?
We are being taught English by a native speaker from Alaska. He states that many of modal verbs we were taught are outdated and have been replaced.
E.g.:
We must ➙ We have to
May I ...
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Is it appropriate to omit "to" after "ought"?
Is it appropriate to omit to after ought?
I ought to be disciplined for my insolence.
Vs.
I ought be disciplined for my insolence.
Is it okay to omit the to?
user11550
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Infinitives with "ought not"
Most of the references I can find about the word “ought” indicate that even when negating it, you should use an infinitive: “You ought not to go there.”
That sounds quite bad ...
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What is the meaning of "ought not"?
Consider this example:
A few strong branches over water reach for what they ought not reach.
Which of the meanings comes closest to “ought not” in this sentence?
Is it “doesn't have to”, “should ...
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Why are 'preterite presents' called so?
While reading about 'defective verbs' on Wikipedia, I came across this term – preterite present verbs.
The most commonly recognized defective verbs in English are auxiliary verbs — the class of ...
user32480
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Difference between be supposed to and ought to
I was confused by usage of be supposed to and ought to modals. Where can we use them? For instance, I am supposed to/ought to learn English today. I don't have to learn english today, but to me it ...
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Subjunctive Mood with the Type 3 Conditional or "could with the perfect infinitive" expressing ability, theoretical possibility, etc. in the past
From NBC news’s ‘Breakthrough finding’ reveals why certain Covid-19 patients die:
"Before Covid, their condition was silent," Bastard said. "Most of them hadn't gotten sick before.&...
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Etymology of "had better"
Hadn't ought: "ought not —usually used with to ": you really hadn't ought to do that.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hadn%27t%20ought
Is this ''had'' the same as the one in had ...
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Dialect differences between "should", "ought", and "ought to"
As I travel around England, Southern Wales, and Southern Scotland, I hear the rural and working-class people in some areas use "should" (and never "ought"), in other areas "...
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A question about the question tag of "ought to" [duplicate]
When we say : we ought not to smoke in the class, ought we ?
Is this sentence correct or should it be "don't we?" instead of "ought we?" or "do we?" ?
Because this is ...
