Hello everyone.
Dear teachers, could you please explain the meaning of the word “ought”, when and where it should be used?
Thanks.
Ought to = must
Are there any exact situations when you should use “ought” instead of “must” and vice versa? Or are they just synonyms?
In most cases I find them synonyms but lets see what English teachers say…
OK, thanks! Let’s wait for their replies then…
They ought to be here soon.
Hi Jimwth,
‘Ought to’ and ‘must’ both have a sense of necessity. ‘Ought to’ suggests the moral sense and ‘must’ the imperative sense.
Look at these two sentences:
I must go now because if I stay any longer, I shall be late back for work.
I ought to go now because I promised her that I wouldn’t be late.
Alan
Kitosdad, Alan, thank you very much! I think I understand now 
In the US “ought to” is more closely related to “should” than to “must.”
Hi Raison,
Can you expand on this, please.
Alan
Hi, Raison!
So in the US “ought to” is something between " should" and “must”? Am I correct?
When we use “ought to,” it is more like a suggestion than a command. For example, we might say, “You ought to go to your prom; it will be fun,” just as we’d say, “You should go to your prom; it will be fun.”
When we use “must,” it is more like a requirement, not a choice. For example, a parent might say, “You must go to school.” If the parent says, “You ought to go to school,” that is a suggestion instead of a requirement.
Another situation where we use “should” and “ought to” interchangeably is when we say, “They should be here by now,” or “They ought to be here by now.”
I hope I was clear in my explanation!
To add to the confusion, we often use “have to” and “must” interchangeably.
“You must do your homework before you go out to play.”
“You have to do your homework before you go out to play.”
Hi,
Thanks for that but I can’t really see in your examples any difference in the uses between Am E and Br E.
Alan
I’ll try one more time. 
In AM E, “should” and “ought to” have basically the same meanings, and “must” and “have to” have basically the same meanings. However, “should” and “must” are less closely related. “Should” implies something that would be good to do but is not a requirement; “must” is usually a requirement.
To give examples again, if I say to my son, “You must do your homework before you go out to play,” or “You have to do your homework before you go out to play,” he really has no choice but to do his homework before playing. On the other hand, if I say, “You should clean up your room before you go out to play,” or “You ought to clean up your room before you go out to play,” while it would be good if he cleaned his room first, it is more like a suggestion, and he doesn’t really have to do it right now.
That may not be any clearer, but I tried! It’s probably a subtle difference, but I have noticed it.
Well, thanks a lot, Raison, that is very useful to know!
Another question: what does “prom” mean? :oops:
A prom is a formal dance usually for juniors and seniors in high school; it’s a big deal in a lot of schools. I believe in Britain, it is called “promenade,” but I’ve never heard that term used here except when referring to square dancing.
Thanks again, that was very informative of you all! And thanks Raison, now I know a bit more about the US
You’re welcome. I enjoy reading forums to learn about other cultures as well.