Using should

Let's start with should. Should has multiple meanings. It can be used to express certainty, such as, "He should be here by 5 o'clock." Should can be a substitute for the conditional word if. You might hear someone say, "Should you need help, just ask me."

But more often, we use should to give suggestions and friendly advice, such as, "You should apply for that job," or "You should try that new restaurant."

The past form of the modal should is should have + the past participle. For example, "I should have brought my wallet." Notice that the main verb brought is in the past participle form.

Use should have to express regret, or a negative feeling about the past. Imagine you trusted someone and that person later cheated on you. You could say, "I should have known better than to trust him." The Beatles used the expression in a popular song.

I should have known better with a girl like you
That I would love everything that you do
And I do
Hey hey hey

Using ought to

The next modal we will talk about is ought to. Ought to is another modal for giving advice. Sometimes ought to sounds more like "otta" as in this romantic song by Al Green.

Sit back down and talk to me
About how you want to be
You ought to be with me
Yeah you ought to be with me

Ought to is similar in meaning to should, but it is not used as often. In modern American English, ought to is seldom used with the past tense or in the question form.

Using had better

Let's move on to had better. Had better is stronger than should and ought to. Had better carries an indirect threat.

For example, if you said, "You had better finish the report," you are not making a polite suggestion. You are making an indirect threat.

In other words, if you don't finish the report, you are in trouble. Authority figures sometimes use had better when speaking to people below them. Parents also use this form often.

Listen to cartoon character Malory Archer. Malory is the head of a spy agency. People think she is arrogant and heartless. Listen to her tone when she uses had better.

Oh for — I'll send up some help.
And Missy, you had better watch it!

As you can hear, Malory is not making a polite suggestion. She is threatening someone in a lower position.

Had better is not always impolite, it could express a sense of urgency as in, "Your plane is leaving! You had better run!" In other words, "If you don't run, you will miss your flight." Had better has no past tense or question form.

Modals in rapid speech

Should, ought to, and had better can be difficult for English learners to hear. Native speakers often shorten these words in casual conversation. In rapid speech, modals seem to disappear because they are shortened and often fall on unstressed syllables.

We will read some examples for you. The first sentence will be in slow, careful speech. Then we will read it again in rapid, informal speech.

I should have been listening to what she had to say.
I shoulda been listenin' ta what she had t' say.

You ought to be ashamed of yourself.
You otta be ashamed of yourself.

You had better decide what you want to do.
You'd better decide whatcha wanna do.