When changing "ought to" into reported speech, the general rule is that "ought to" does not change.
According to linguistic rules regarding certain modal auxiliary verbs, must, ought to, used to, and needn't typically do not change in reported speech. This is because "ought to" is already considered a past tense modal, similar in meaning to "should" (which can sometimes change, but "ought to" does not). Similarly, "used to" exists only in the past tense, and "needn't" is primarily used in the negative.
Therefore, if someone says, "You ought to study," the reported speech version will still use "ought to."
Direct Speech vs. Reported Speech
Let's look at some examples to illustrate this point:
| Direct Speech | Reported Speech | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| He said, "You ought to go." | He said that I ought to go. | "Ought to" remains the same. |
| She told me, "I ought to rest." | She told me that she ought to rest. | Subject and pronoun change, but not the modal. |
| They said, "We ought to leave." | They said that they ought to leave. | No change to the modal verb. |
| "You ought not to worry," he advised. | He advised me that I ought not to worry. | Negative form also remains unchanged. |
As shown, regardless of the subject or the tense of the reporting verb (e.g., 'said', 'told'), the modal verb "ought to" retains its original form. This makes reporting sentences with "ought to" relatively straightforward compared to other modals like "will" or "can" which often change to "would" and "could".
Key Takeaway
- The modal auxiliary verb "ought to" does not change when converted from direct speech to reported speech.
- This is consistent with how other modals like "must" and "used to" are often treated in reported speech.
Understanding this simple rule ensures accuracy when reporting statements containing "ought to".
