Are you confused between ‘Have to’, Suppose to’ & Ought to, how and where to use these short phrases? In this English speaking lesson, you would learn the difference between these words and how to correctly use them in spoken English. This English speaking lesson is developed by expert trainers at Let’s Talk English Speaking Institute in Mumbai. For English speaking courses to improve your English communication skills visit our Website.
Complete Video Transcript : –
Hi, friends, thanks for clicking and welcome back to a grammar lesson. I am Niharika and in today’s lesson, we are gonna look at the difference between have to, supposed to and ought to. We are gonna understand how to use these words in your sentences in English. Also, before we go ahead and look at the explanation, well make a note that these words are modals and are always followed by verbs. Okay, so make sure, you make a note of this and now let’s understand the difference. The first thing that we are going to look at is, have to. Now when do we use have to in English? And what exactly it means? Now have to, can be used, the way, we use the word, must. It is used in a situation where you have no choice. Yeah, there are times when we have or when we can choose, what we want to do. But when we end up using, have to or we end up using the word, must in our sentences, it means that it is used for a situation, where we have no choice and we have to do that thing. Yes, it is used for a situation, when you have no choice. Now to understand this better, let’s have a look at some examples on the board. The first one is, I have to learn English. So here, probably, you’re using this, have to or you can also say, I must learn English, it’s because you don’t have a choice. Maybe you have moved to an English speaking country and you’re not able to live there, without speaking English. So, you have no choice, if you want to live a comfortable life, in an English speaking country, it’s important for you to learn English. Okay, so that’s exactly why you will say, that I have to learn English because you have no choice. Let’s have a look at another example, using the word, have to. I have to submit the reports tomorrow. Okay, now you need to understand, that again, we can either use, have to or must like, I must submit the reports tomorrow or else there will be consequences. So you have no choice, okay it’s like the deadline, you have to do it, okay or else your boss is really going to be mad at you. So you are saying that I have to submit the reports tomorrow. The last example for you is, I have to pay my taxes. Oh yes, you can’t skip, paying off your taxes. It is important for you to pay your taxes and you have no choice. Yes, if you again want to live a comfortable life in a country, it’s important for you, to pay your taxes. You cannot back off. So you no choice and you have to pay your taxes or you must pay your taxes. So, that’s how, you will use have to or must in English, okay.
Now, let’s move on and understand, when do we use supposed to? Now supposed to, is used in English in a situation where there’s an obligation or it’s more like a rule that you need to follow. Now, let’s look at some examples here. I am supposed to learn English. Now here, probably, you have taken a job and you have a choice but it’s more like an obligation, where your boss has said, that you know what. If you want to good in your career, it’s important for you to learn English. So it’s more like an obligation to you and that’s why you use the word supposed to. So, I’m supposed to learn English. So it’s more like an obligation. Let’s understand this better by looking at another example, which is, we are supposed to submit the reports by tomorrow. So again, it’s more like an obligation, probably your clients are waiting for you and there will be consequences but it’s not going to be very bad but yes, it’s more like an obligation. It’s more like you have to do this. So we are supposed to submit the reports by tomorrow, okay. Then the last example that I have for you, using the word supposed to, is you are not supposed to talk loudly in a hospital. Of course, if you start speaking loudly, patients are going to be disturbed. It’s not a place where you can giggle or it’s not a place where you can talk loudly or on top of your lungs. You are supposed to maintain silence. So it’s more like a rule that you need to follow or an obligation that you need to follow and that’s why you use the word supposed to when you are talking about this. So, you are not supposed to talk loudly in a hospital. Alright, so you got the difference between have to and supposed to. Have to can be used, just the way, we use the word, must, where you have no choice. Whereas, supposed to is used more like an obligation or like a rule that you need to follow. Now let’s understand, how we use the word, ought to in English.
Now, let’s understand how do we use ought to in English. Now ought to is used, in a situation where it’s not an obligation, where you have a choice. So, it is not as strong as the word must. Like we learned, when you use the word must or have to, then you don’t have a choice. When you use supposed to, then it’s more like an obligation but when you end up using ought to, it is not strong as have to or supposed to. So here, it’s more like an advice or a suggestion that you make. Now you also need to make a note that when you end up using ought to, you actually do not use it in questions or in negative sentences. So no using, ought to for questions or for negative sentences. Okay, so it’s just a thing that you need to make a note of so that you can speak or use these words confidently in English. Now to understand this better, we are going to look at some examples. The first one is, I ought to learn English. Now remember we learned, I have to learn English because probably, you are in an English speaking country and you have no choice, the second one was like, I am supposed to learn English because it’s more like an obligation. Your boss has asked you to but when you say that I ought to learn English, then probably you a choice. Probably you just want to learn a new language. You know, you have this fantasy of learning English. So you’re saying, I ought to learn English. So, it’s not an obligation, it’s not a must thing to do but yes, it’s like my choice, whether I want to do it or not and that’s why, you are using, ought to, okay. Let’s look at another example, which is, I ought to help my mom with the chores. Okay, now if I help my mom with the chores, she’ll be really happy but there won’t be major consequences if I don’t help her with the chores, right? Like she’s not going to be very mad at me or she’s not going to throw me out of the house because I did not help her with the chores. So it’s like, I am doing this willingly and it’s my choice, whether I want to help her or not and that’s why, I am using the word, ought to. Okay and then the third example that I have for you is, I ought to revise for my exams but I am too tired to do that. Now, probably, tomorrow I have my exam and I need to revise but I am kind of prepared for the exam and I am too tired right now to go through it or revise the lessons. So, it’s my choice, it’s okay if I don’t even revise it. It’s okay if I just wake up tomorrow morning and do it because I am too tired right now and it’s not like a must thing and that’s why, I use the expression ought to, okay.
So this is the way, you will use the expression or the word, ought to in English. So just understand, that the difference is really, really very simple. Have to is a must thing to do, you have no choice, supposed to is more like an obligation, whereas ought to, is more like a suggestion or an advice and you have your choice, whether you want to do it or not. Okay, so let me know, how much do you score in the test and I’ll be back with a new lesson soon, till then, you take care.
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