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.