Advisability: should, ought to, had better

Advisability: should, ought to, had better

Should = ought to

Should and ought to have the same meaning: they express advisability.e.g. a) You should say a greeting.

You ought to say a greeting.b) You should speak clearly into the receiver.You ought to speak clearly into the

receiver

Ought to is often pronounced “otta” in informal speaking e.g. You have a test tomorrow, you ought to

(“otta”) study tonight.

In meaning, had better is close to should/ought to but had better is usually stronger or even implies a warning or a threat.It has a present or future meaning.It is more common in speaking than writing.e.g. You had better identify yourself and your affiliation, before asking for the person to whom you would like to speak

Had better is stronger and more common in speaking than writing.

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