Must

We use must in three main ways:

to talk about something that has to be done because its compulsory or obligatory (that is, its absolutely
necessary to obey a rule, law, order, or instruction):
Online stores must give a cooling-off period of seven working days.
She was told that she must not discuss the case with third parties, including her MP.
or because its very important:
To calm public opinion, police must quickly arrest the culprits and solve this case.
I must get back to work: a deadline approaches.
to express the view that something is highly likely because its a logical conclusion based on something
else that the speaker knows, or its the normal thing to expect:
Our measurements show that exactly the opposite must be the case.
Her mega hairdo must have taken several cans of hairspray to achieve.
to say to someone that you strongly recommend or advise something because its a good idea:
If you go to Barcelona, you must see the cathedral.
We get on well and keep saying we must meet up for lunch sometime.

Ought
We use ought in three main ways:
to express the view that something is the right thing to do, because its morally correct, polite, or someones
duty:
You ought to admit that you made a mistake.
They ought not to be allowed to damage property without paying compensation.
to predict that something is fairly likely or expected, based on normal circumstances or logic:
Our long-delayed mail is on the way from France and ought to arrive today.
The weather oughtnt to be cold in May.
to offer or ask for advice or recommendations:
If you havent read the book then you ought to see the movie.
What ought to be done to improve things?

Should
Here are the three main meanings of should:
to talk about what we think is the right or correct thing to do, especially from the point of view of duty or
appropriateness:

All employees should be provided with a proper job description.

Children shouldnt be allowed to watch too much TV.
to give or ask for advice or suggestions:
I told Kathy she should try to get some rest.
Can you recommend any exercises, or should I see a doctor?
to predict that something will probably happen or is expected to be the case, based on logic or a typical
situation:
My sisters on her way, she should be here soon.
By next month I should have enough money to buy a car.

Differences and similarities

We can compare and contrast must, ought, and should according to two categories: meaning and grammar.

1. Meaning
As weve seen, we can use all three verbs to express broadly similar meanings: the main distinctions
between them are related to degrees of emphasis. Must is the most emphatic: you use it when youre
confident about a conclusion, or when you want to stress that its very important for someone to follow your
recommendations. You also use must to refer to something thats required by a rule or law.
Unlike should and ought, must isnt used to make predictions:
According to the forecast, it should be warm tomorrow.
According to the forecast, it ought to be warm tomorrow.
X According to the forecast, it must be warm tomorrow.
Ought is less strong than must, and isnt used to talk about things that are compulsory. It often carries with it
slightly more forcefulness and more of a sense of moral obligation or appropriateness than should.
The meanings of should that were addressing in this blog overlap with those of ought, butshould is much
more common statistically. There are over 2 million instances of should on the Oxford English Corpus,
compared with around 71,000 occurrences of ought. In particular, should is much more frequent in questions
or negative constructions than ought.Should is the least forceful of the trio: its mostly used to make
suggestions and more tentative predictions.
Compare the nuances of meaning in the following:
If you have a mole that starts to bleed, you must see a doctor. [its vital, as it could be cancer]
The fat content of the cheese must not exceed 44%. [this is to obey a food regulation]
The object of the exercise was to prevent the public from seeing what they ought to see. [its morally
desirable that people knew]
I ought to eat more fruit and vegetables. [its a good idea and will make me healthier]
You should see the size of the crowds he plays in front of! [this is my opinion, but you dont actually need to
see the crowds for yourself]
I think I should go home. [Im considering this as an option]

Having said this, however, theres frequently little distinction in meaning between ought andshould, and
indeed it is possible to have the same interpretation using one or both alternatives. Should is more common
in questions, especially in daily conversation: oughtsounds rather formal when used interrogatively.
Additionally, speakers of North American English tend to use should rather than ought when expressing a
negative idea (weshouldnt turn away from such opportunities rather than we oughtnt to turn away from
such opportunities).

2. Grammar
2.1 Tenses
You can form the past tense of should and ought by using have and the past participle of the main verb. We
can use this construction to talk about things which were supposed to have been done or have happened (but
didnt) or to speculate about things which were not sure about in the past:
They should have done more research.
I ought to have left here by 3.30.
Surely they should have got home by midnight.
You also form the past of must with have plus the past participle of a main verb. You can use must have to
express certainty about something in the past, based on logic or normal expectations:
From the evidence of his pupils, he must have been a good teacher.
However, you cant use must have to talk about something important that should have occurred in the past or
something compulsory. If you say:
They must have done more research.
it doesnt mean they were supposed to have done more research but didnt; it means that the speaker is sure
that they had carried out more research in order to get to the situation theyre now in.
2.2 Infinitives
Ought is unlike most other modals, because we always use the infinitive to when we use it with a main verb.
You shouldnt say:
X I ought eat less meat.
X Ought we visit her soon?
X You ought not miss this play.
You need to use to:
I ought to eat less meat.
Ought we to visit her soon?
You ought not to miss this play.
The only case where you dont have to accompany ought with to is if there is no other main verb in the
sentence or clause:
Say what you have to say, not what you ought.
We should file that under Educational too, oughtnt we?
With should and must, the infinitive to isnt used:
X I should to leave now.
X She mustnt to discuss the case with anyone.

 I should leave now.

She mustnt discuss the case with anyone.
The above should have helped to clarify these three verbs; you ought now to know how to use them;
I must stop writing immediately!
The opinions and other information contained in OxfordWords blog posts and comments do not necessarily
reflect the opinions or positions of Oxford University Press.

AuthorCatherine SoanesCatherine Soanes is an ex-lexicographer and EFL teacher.

Published3 March 2014