Advice (should/ought to) Exercises PDFSet 2: Ought To and Had Better: Formal Advice and Strong Recommendations
20 questions·14 min·Answers included·Explanations included
Preview: Questions
Fill in the blank with the correct option.
1.You ___ to apologise for what you said. It was really unkind.
a) shouldb) betterc) hadd) ought
2.We'd ___ leave now, or we'll miss the train.
a) betterb) shouldc) oughtd) rather
3.You ___ not to spread rumours about other people.
a) hadb) oughtc) betterd) should
4.You'd better ___ touch that wire. It might be live.
a) don'tb) to notc) notd) no
5.Employees ___ to follow the company's dress code at all times.
a) oughtb) betterc) hadd) would
... and 15 more questions in the PDF
Preview: Answers
1.ought
2.better
3.ought
4.not
5.ought
... and 15 more answers in the PDF
Preview: Explanations
1."ought"(d)
'Ought to + base verb' is used to give advice, similar to 'should'. The structure is always 'ought to + verb'. Here, 'You ought to apologise' means the same as 'You should apologise', but sounds slightly more formal.
2."better"(a)
'We'd better' is the contracted form of 'We had better'. It is used for urgent advice or warnings — if you don't follow this advice, something bad will happen. Here, missing the train is the negative consequence.
3."ought"(b)
The negative of 'ought to' is 'ought not to' (or 'oughtn't to'). The structure is: ought + not + to + verb. 'You ought not to spread rumours' is formal advice against gossip.
4."not"(c)
The negative of 'had better' is 'had better not + base verb'. Do NOT use 'don't' — 'had better' is a modal expression and forms its negative with 'not', not with 'don't'.
5."ought"(a)
'Ought to' is often used for formal rules or expectations. 'Employees ought to follow the dress code' sounds professional and formal, making it suitable for a workplace context.
... and 15 more explanations in the PDF
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