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Thread: ought to have +should

  1. #1
    ostap77 is offline Key Member
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    Default ought to have +should

    "You ought to have brought your own 6-pack to the party, shouldn't you?"

    Since text-books say that Americans prefer "should" to "ought to" in negative sentences and in questions, can I use them in one sentence?
    Last edited by ostap77; 29-Apr-2011 at 13:19.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: ought to have +should

    Quote Originally Posted by ostap77 View Post
    "You ought to have brought your own 6-pack to the party, shouldn't you?"

    Since text-books say that Americans prefer "should" to "ought to" in negative sentences and in questions, can I use them in one sentence?
    It's not at all natural like that. Use one or the other, don't mix them.
    ostap77 likes this.

  3. #3
    ostap77 is offline Key Member
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    Default Re: ought to have +should

    Quote Originally Posted by bhaisahab View Post
    It's not at all natural like that. Use one or the other, don't mix them.
    "We ought to help them, shouldn’t we? (More natural than ought not we?)"

    Learn English online - English Grammar - Modal auxiliary verb ought to

    Would this be wrong?

  4. #4
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    Default Re: ought to have +should

    Quote Originally Posted by ostap77 View Post
    "We ought to help them, shouldn’t we? (More natural than ought not we?)"

    Learn English online - English Grammar - Modal auxiliary verb ought to

    Would this be wrong?
    "oughtn't we" is perfectly natural.
    ostap77 and AlexAD like this.

  5. #5
    ostap77 is offline Key Member
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    Default Re: ought to have +should

    Quote Originally Posted by bhaisahab View Post
    "oughtn't we" is perfectly natural.
    Could someone on behalf of the AmE speakers express their opinion on the statement in post #3?

  6. #6
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    Default Re: ought to have +should

    Quote Originally Posted by ostap77 View Post
    "We ought to help them, shouldn’t we? (More natural than ought not we?)"

    Learn English online - English Grammar - Modal auxiliary verb ought to

    Would this be wrong?
    I can't say that this would be wrong, but I certainly agree with bhai's comment in post 2; don't mix them. While the link you've posted finds this acceptable, I wouldn't mix them, though many AmE-speakers do. I find "ought not we" awkward , but as bhai says, "oughtn't we" is perfectly natural. As for AmE usage, you will surely hear "should" more often than "ought to."
    ostap77 likes this.

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