The Grammaring Guide to English Grammar with Exercises

Modals to express assumption: WILL, SHOULD, OUGHT TO

Present and future

Will and should + infinitive are used to express assumptions with reference to present and future time. Assumptions with will are more probable:

"The phone's ringing." "That'

ll be

for me."

There's no point in speaking louder. He

won't understand

.

I

should get back

before 9.

"Is it far from here?" "I

should think

so."

"We're going to the Swiss Alps next week." "That

should be

nice."

I have never tried to set up a website, but it

shouldn't be

too difficult.

Ought to can be used instead of should, but it is less common:

Anne

ought to be

at home by now.

Past

Will, should and ought to + perfect infinitive are used to express assumptions about past events:

Some of you

will have met

me before.

The plane

should have landed

by now.

Related topics:

Future simple for predictions