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Should be vs ought to be

Both "should be" and "ought to be" are correct and commonly used in English. They are interchangeable in most contexts, but "ought to be" may sound a bit more formal or old-fashioned. The choice between them depends on the speaker's preference or the desired tone of the sentence.

Last updated: March 20, 2024 • 626 views

Should be

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

Use "should be" to express an obligation, duty, or expectation. It is a common phrase in everyday English.

Examples:

  • You should be more careful with your belongings.
  • The report should be ready by tomorrow.
  • Should be here before nightfall for the big announcement.
  • Should be a pretty interesting surgery.
  • Should be ready by three o'clock.
  • Should be at the center stairwell.
  • Should be a standard two-man squad.
  • Should be hot enough to mimic heat distribution over flesh.
  • Should be just over the next ridge.
  • Should be in the air right about now.
  • Should be up and running before the end of the month.
  • Should be up and running in 15 minutes.
  • Should be here within the hour.
  • Should be installed by the end of the week.
  • Should be translated into Spanish, at the very least.
  • Should be here in an hour.
  • Should be derived from a rent roll or other document indicating occupancy consistent with most recent financial year information.
  • Should be rounded to the nearest 1000 units.
  • Should be in your account by now.
  • The secondary flow valve Should be behind you and to your right.
  • Should be enough to satisfy your Titanic Jones for a while.
  • Should be impossible to get two right answers to one question.

Alternatives:

  • ought to be
  • must be
  • has to be
  • needs to be
  • is supposed to be

ought to be

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English, but it may sound more formal or old-fashioned.

Use "ought to be" to express an obligation, duty, or expectation. It is slightly more formal than "should be."

Examples:

  • You ought to be more respectful to your elders.
  • The project ought to be completed by the end of the week.
  • B1 used to show when it is ​necessary or would be a good thing to ​perform the ​activity referred to by the ​following ​verb: [+ infinitive] You ought to be ...
  • 2. to express prudent expediency: you ought to be more careful with your money. 3. (usually with reference to future time) to express probability or expectation: ...
  • Her speech gave us a vision of the world as it ought to be. Il suo discorso ci diede una visione del mondo come dovrebbe essere. he ought to, dovrebbe v.
  • That ought to be enough food for the four of us. Oughtn't the water to have boiled by now? Grammar Pointmodal verbs The modal verbs are can, could, may, ...

Alternatives:

  • should be
  • must be
  • has to be
  • needs to be
  • is supposed to be

Related Comparisons

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