Should, Ought To, and Had Better

What you’ll learn

Give advice with an appropriate strength.

ផ្ដល់ដំបូន្មានតាមកម្រិតខ្លាំងសមស្រប។

Meaning and use

Should and ought to give advice or describe a desirable action. Had better gives strong advice about a specific situation, often implying an unwanted consequence. Despite had, it normally refers to now or the future. Its negative is had better not followed by a base verb.

Should និង ought to ប្រើផ្ដល់ដំបូន្មាន។ Had better ជាដំបូន្មានខ្លាំងសម្រាប់ស្ថានភាពជាក់លាក់ ដែលអាចមានផលមិនល្អបើមិនធ្វើតាម។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Ordinary advice	should + base / ought to + base
Strong situation-specific advice	had better (not) + base

Examples

1. You should take a short break.

   អ្នកគួរតែសម្រាកបន្តិច។

2. We ought to thank our host.

   យើងគួរតែអរគុណម្ចាស់ផ្ទះ។

3. You had better leave now; the road closes at six.

   អ្នកគួរចេញឥឡូវនេះ ព្រោះផ្លូវបិទម៉ោងប្រាំមួយ។

4. You had better not lose that receipt.

   អ្នកគួរប្រុងប្រយ័ត្នកុំឱ្យបាត់បង្កាន់ដៃនោះ។

Everyday conversation

Dara: I have an early exam tomorrow.

Maly: You should rest tonight. You had better set an alarm too.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
You should to rest.	You should rest.	Should takes a bare infinitive.
You had better to hurry.	You had better hurry.	Had better also takes a bare infinitive.

Practice

Try these questions before opening the answers. Write or say each answer.

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Correct: She ought study more regularly.
2. Make negative: You had better tell him.
3. Which is stronger in an urgent warning: should or had better?

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. She ought to study more regularly.

   Ought requires to before the verb.

2. You had better not tell him.

   Put not after better.

3. Had better usually gives the stronger warning.

   It often suggests a negative consequence in the specific situation.

Quick recap

• Ordinary advice: should + base / ought to + base
• Strong situation-specific advice: had better (not) + base