Meaning
Used with "to" to say what is the right thing to do.
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Word origin
From Old English ahte, the past form of agan, to own or to owe. Duty was once thought of as something you owe.
- Origin
- Old English
- Root
- agan
- English cognates
- owe, own
Grammar
Examples
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"Ought" is nearly always followed by "to" and a verb.
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It is close to "should", but a little more formal.
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The negative is "ought not to", often shortened in speech.
Where this fits
Used in
Stories
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English · Free printables
ought: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the English word "ought" (Used with "to" to say what is the right thing to do.): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is taught in chapter 15, lesson 6: ought, possibly, inspector and 7 more words.