Advisability (should, ought to, had better)

Exercise 1

Complete the following sentences.

1. I should study tonight because …
2. I ought to study tonight because …
3. I had better study tonight. If I dont, …
4. I should wash my clothes, but …
5. I had better wash my clothes today, or …
6. It is a beautiful day, we ought to …
7. It looks like rain. If you are going out, you had better …
8. You had better obey the speed limit. If …
9. You should not stay up late tonight because …
10. You had better not stay up late tonight. If you do …

Give advice in the following situations by using should, ought to, or had better.

Example :

I have a test tomorrow. –> you should (ought to, had better) study tonight.

1. I don not feel good. I think. I am catching a cold.
2. I can not see the blackboard when I sit in the back row.
3. I need to improve my English.
4. There is no food in my house, and some guests are coming to dinner.
5. I can not stop yawning.

Use either should or must/have to in the following. In some sentences either is possible, but the meaning is different.

1. A person ___ eat in order to live.
2. If you want to become a doctor, you ___ go to medical school for many years.
3. According to my academic advisor, I ___ take another English course.
4. You ___ have a passport if you want to travel abroad.
5. If you do not know how to spell a word, you ___ look it up in the dictionary.

Exercise 2 (The Past Form of Should)

Make sentences based on the following situations. Use should have.

Exzmple : Tom made a mistake yesterday. He left the door to his house open, and a bird flew on. He had terrible time catching the bird. –> Tom shouldn’t have left the door open.

1. There was an important meeting yesterday afternoon, but you decided not to go. That was a mistake.
2. I didn’t invite Sammy to my party. That made him feel bad. I am sorry I didn’t invite him.
3. Mary sold her car. That was a mistake because now she can’t take trips to see her friends and relatives.

Use should have in your response.

Example: You had a bad score because you went to the cinema. –> I shouldn’t have gone to the cinema.

1. You had to pay a fine because your library book was overdue.
2. The weather was beautiful yesterday, but you stayed inside all day.
3. You were sick yesterday, but you went to class anyway. Today you feel worse.