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I ought to vs I had to

The phrases 'I ought to' and 'I had to' have different meanings and are used in different contexts. 'I ought to' is used to express a suggestion or recommendation, while 'I had to' is used to indicate a necessity or obligation in the past. They are not directly comparable as they serve different purposes.

Last updated: March 17, 2024 • 939 views

I ought to

The phrase 'I ought to' is correct and commonly used in English to express a suggestion or recommendation.

Use 'I ought to' when you want to suggest that something is the right thing to do or when giving advice.

Examples:

  • I ought to call my parents more often.
  • You ought to see a doctor if you're feeling unwell.
  • She ought to study for her exams.
  • We ought to be more environmentally friendly.
  • He ought to apologize for his mistake.
  • Definition of ought to modal verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
  • I ought to do it → debería hacerlo, debiera hacerlo one ought not to do it → no se debiera hacer. I ought to have done it → debiera haberlo hecho you ought to have ... I thought I ought to tell you → me creí en el deber de decírselo to behave as ...
  • It is also used in an informal way followed by 'to' but no following infinitive: ♢ I don' t spend as much time with them as I ought to. Ought does not change its form, so the third person singular form does not end in '-s': She ought to try a little harder ...
  • I ought to have remembered what an hour it was,—more than half-past two. Barrington Charles James Lever. I know that I have spoken of him as I ought not to have spoken. Philothea Lydia Maria Child. "That ought not to make any difference, ...

Alternatives:

  • I should
  • I need to
  • I have to
  • I must

I had to

The phrase 'I had to' is correct and commonly used in English to indicate a necessity or obligation in the past.

Use 'I had to' to explain that something was required or necessary in the past.

Examples:

  • I had to finish my homework before going out.
  • She had to leave early for an appointment.
  • He had to work overtime to meet the deadline.
  • We had to cancel the trip due to bad weather.
  • They had to wait for hours at the airport.
  • There are a few phrases that really push my buttons. When talking to trainers, the one that will always get a reaction from me is this explanation for why the trainer used a specific technique or piece of equipment: "I had to." When pushed to ...
  • Does she have to get up early? had to in the Simple Past. Pronouns, Affirmative sentences, Negative sentences, Questions. I, he, she, it, we, you, they, I had to get up early. I did not have to get up early. Did I have to get up early? Explanation .
  • 21 hours ago ... Boss - Santi was a gamble I had to take. Arsène Wenger says signing Santi Cazorla was a “gamble” that he had to take. The Spain international has been a huge success since his arrival from Malaga in the summer of 2012.
  • Jul 4, 2015 ... Today I had to take matters into my own hand. For my city and for my state! I had to do this!! Thank you for the love and support my friends... HAHA Obviously this is a joke!! but it worked! The SUN IS OUT!! haha. We will cya ...

Alternatives:

  • I was required to
  • I needed to
  • I was obligated to
  • I was compelled to

Related Comparisons

I didn't want to vs I didn't need to we will be forced to vs we ought to I will need to vs I would need to I need to vs Goes home due to vs ought to I didn't want to vs I didn't want too

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