Confusing English Words Challenge 34
Algunas palabras en inglés pueden crear confusion en los principiantes.
Some words in English can be confusing for learners.
This one is to practice the following 3 Modals: - Must - Should - Ought to
Both native Spanish and English speakers may answer - but write both Spanish and English sentences.
I would appreciate some help in checking the Spanish sentences.
Agradecería una cierta ayuda en la comprobación de las oraciones españolas.
I will "accept" the best effort after about a week
Every attempt will get a vote.
NOTE - we would normally need 2 sentences, one in each language for each word, to illustrate how the the following are used.
a) Must
b) Should
c) Ought to
Futher explanation as to the different meanings may be given.
Please do not suggest new words - but pictures are welcome.
Well done everyone - here is the next challenge number 35
8 Answers
It's a great topic, Ian. They are certainly confusing, even to us native speakers it seems!
I'll try a couple of examples, but I don't really have the hang of translating these to Spanish.
I ought to go to the dentist, but I don't want to. (I would also use 'should' here.)
Debo visitar al dentista pero no quiero ir.
I have to go to the dentist and I'm terrified!
Tengo que visitar al dentista y ¡estoy aterrizada!
My tooth is killing me, I really must go to the dentist.
Me duele mucho la muela, la verdad tengo que visitar al dentista.
I've added 'have to', Ian, because it seems to me that very often it means the same as 'must', but again there are subtle differences.
What do you think?
word/palabra: Should
Definition: ''The past tense of shall: [and is] used to indicate that an action is considered by the speaker to be obligatory''.Source: Collins concise Dictionary and Thesaurus 4th Edition (2006) published by Harper Collins
English: ex: She should have known better
Spanish: ej: Debe haber sabido mejor
word/palabra: ought to:
Definition: 1 (/4) ''Used to express duty or obligation eg She ought to tell this to the police.'' Source: Collins concise Dictionary and Thesaurus 4th Edition (2006) published by Harper Collins
English: ex: I ought to return the books to the library today so that I don't get a fine.(ie:to avoid receiving a fine)
Spanish:ej: Debo recoger los libros a la bilioteca hoy para evitar de recibir una multa
word/palabra: Must (ie: to have to = tener que )
Definition: number 2(/7) ''Used as an auxiliary to express or indicate obligation or requirement'' Source: Collins concise Dictionary and Thesaurus 4th Edition (2006) published by Harper Collins.
English ex: I must leave the house to pick up the children from school.
Spanish ej:Tengo que salir la casa para recoger a los niños de la escuela.
Corrijan mi Español, por favor
must modal (neg must not o mustn’t
NOTA Must es un Modal al que sigue un infinitivo sin to, y las oraciones interrogativas y negativas se construyen sin el auxiliar do:
Must you go? / ¿Tienes que irte?
We mustn’t tell her. / No debemos decírselo.
Must sólo tiene la forma del presente
I must leave early. / Tengo que salir temprano.
Cuando necesitamos otras formas utilizamos have to:
He’ll have to come tomorrow. / Tendrá que venir mañana.
We had to eat quickly. / Tuvimos que comer rápido. (obligación y prohibición) deber, tener que
You must show your passport. / Debes/Tienes que enseñar el pasaporte.
Cars must not park here. / No se debe aparcar aquí.
We mustn’t be late, must we? / No debemos llegar tarde, ¿verdad?
Must you go so soon?’ ‘Yes, I must.’ / ¿Tienes que irte tan pronto? —Sí.
NOTA Must se emplea para dar órdenes o para hacer que alguien o uno mismo siga un determinado comportamiento
The children must be back by four. / Los niños tienen que estar de vuelta a las cuatro.
I must stop smoking. / Tengo que dejar de fumar.
Cuando las órdenes son impuestas por un agente externo, p. ej. por una ley, una regla, etc., usamos have to:
The doctor says I have to stop smoking. / El médico dice que tengo que dejar de fumar.
You have to send it before Tuesday. / Tienes que mandarlo antes del martes.
En oraciones negativas, must not o mustn’t expresan una prohibición
You mustn’t open other people’s post. / No debes abrir el correo de otras personas. Sin embargo, don’t have to (y a veces haven’t got to) expresan que algo no es necesario, es decir, que hay una ausencia de obligación
You don’t have to go if you don’t want to. / No tienes que ir si no quieres. necesidad / tener que
We must see what they have to say. / Tenemos que ver qué dicen.
I must go to the bank. / Tengo que ir al banco.
Must you make so much noise? / ¿Tienes que hacer tanto ruido?
I must ask you not to do that again. / Tengo que pedirte que no vuelvas a hacer eso. sugerencia o consejo tener que
You must come to lunch one day. / Tienes que venir a comer un día de estos.
You must be hungry. / Debes de tener hambre.
You must be Mr Smith. / Vd. debe de ser el Sr. Smith.
He must have known what she wanted. / Tiene que haber sabido lo que quería.
(I) mustn’t grumble / no me puedo quejar
Ver más vocabulario relacionado con la palabra must - sustantivo (coloquial)
His new book is a must for all students. / Su nuevo libro no se lo ha de perder ningún estudiante.
Insect repellent is a must here. / Aquí es imprescindible tener un repelente de insectos.
Should Modal (neg should not o shouldn’t
NOTA Should es un Modal al que sigue un infinitivo sin to, y las oraciones interrogativas y negativas se construyen sin el auxiliar do.
We should be grateful if…/ Le quedaríamos agradecidos si…
NOTA Should y would se usan para formar el condicional en inglés.
Should es bastante formal y sólo se utiliza con la primera persona del singular y del plural, I y we, mientras que would (o ’d) es mucho más corriente y tiende a utilizarse con todos los pronombres.
You shouldn’t drink and drive. / No deberías conducir si has bebido.
I should leave, shouldn’t I? / Debería irme, ¿verdad?
There shouldn’t be any problem. No debería haber problema alguno.
They should be there by now. Ya deberían de haber llegado.
If you should change your mind…/ Si cambia de opinión…
Should anyone phone, tell them I’m busy. / Si me llaman por teléfono, di que estoy ocupado.
(pasado de shall en estilo indirecto) They asked what they should do. / Preguntaron qué era lo que tenían que hacer. I should have been nicer to her. Debería haber sido más agradable con ella.
(con pronombres interrogativos y exclamativos para expresar sorpresa)
How should I know? / ¿Y a mí qué me cuentas?
Why should he think that? ¿Por qué iba a pensar eso?
Who should be sitting behind me but my ex-wife! / Y mira por donde detrás de mí está sentada mi ex-mujer!
It’s natural that he should want to go. / Es lógico que quiera ir.
It’s important that she should talk to me when she gets here. / Es importante que hable conmigo cuando llegue.
I should say she’s over forty. / Yo diría que pasa de los cuarenta.
I should imagine he is there by now. / Me imagino que ya estará allí.
I should hope/think so/not / espero/creo que sí/no
I should/would have thought… (sorpresa)
I should have thought he’d like it, but he didn’t. / Yo hubiera jurado que le iba a gustar, pero nada, no le gustó.
Ought to Modal (neg ought not o oughtn’t ) (similar to “should” but not usually used as a conditional.
NOTA Ought to es un Modal, y las oraciones interrogativas y negativas se construyen sin el auxiliar do.
You ought to do it. / Deberías hacerlo.
She ought to go out more often. / Debería salir más a menudo.
NOTA En este sentido también se puede utilizar must, pero tiene un significado más fuerte y definido que ought to o should porque expresa más confianza en que algo va a pasar o en que algo es verdad
The doctor said I must stop smoking. El médico dice que tengo que dejar de fumar.
You really ought to/should give up smoking. Realmente deberías dejar de fumar.
Joe must be there by now. / Joe debe de estar ahí ya.
Joe ought to/should be there by now. / Joe debería de estar ahí ya.
Five ought to be enough. / Cinco deberían ser suficientes.
The dress ought to fit now. El vestido debería entrarte ahora.
NOTA Nótese que en este sentido ought to implica una obligación no cumplida en el pasado
I ought to have gone. / Debería haber ido. But I didn't
He ought to have told you. / Debería habértelo dicho. But he didn't
I must do the dishes.
I really should do the dishes.now.
Jeez, I ought to do the dishes sometime today.
I guess I'm not going to do the dishes after all. 
My attempt:
| should | I should eat more green vegetables. | Me debo comer más verduras de color verde. |
| ought to | I ought to have more vegetables and fruits in my diet. | Me debería tener más verduras y frutas en mi dieta. |
| must | My doctor told me I must have more nutritious foods and then I will have more energy. | Mi médico me dice que debo tener más comidas nutritivas y entonces tendría más energía. |
This web site has two practice lessons.
Should and ought to have the same meaning and express advisability, predictability and probability.
The word must expresses certainty and is stronger than should or ought to.
The word must also indicates that it is necessary or very important that something happens. If you say that you must do something, you mean that you have a definite intention to do something in future.
a) You must finish the assigned work.
Esta imprescindible que terminas le trabajo asignado.
b) You should finish your work.
Usted debe terminar su trabajo.
c) He ought to do his homework.
Es menester que él lo haga su tarea.
Is there not a subtle difference in the degree between deber and deber de? Also for me the difference between ought to and should, ought to is much less forceful and a bit more passive. You ought to have a talk with him. (The speaker may or may not have an invested interest in whether or not you talk to him) You should talk to him. (The speaker of this phrase has an expectation that you actually talk to him)
Bump...
Wow, nobody wants to give this a try?
