ought negative

There are three negative points in Modality that are quite rare.

Point 215 is defined as:

negative form ‘ought not to’

Point 226:

CONTRACTED NEGATIVE ‘oughtn’t’ (without ‘to’) + verb

Point 235

‘ought’ + subject + ‘not to’ + verb to form (rhetorical) questions, often in formal contexts.

*Point 35 in the category of QUESTIONS yes/no is also C2 with uncontracted ‘not’ to emphasise a point in an argument.

ought not to *

1 OUGHT NOT TO BE 4793
2 OUGHT NOT TO HAVE 1055
3 OUGHT NOT TO DO 297
4 OUGHT NOT TO TAKE 126
5 OUGHT NOT TO MAKE 104
6 OUGHT NOT TO GO 76
7 OUGHT NOT TO THINK 76
8 OUGHT NOT TO SAY 71
9 OUGHT NOT TO GIVE 68

10 OUGHT NOT TO EXPECT 59

11 OUGHT NOT TO FORGET 59
12 OUGHT NOT TO USE 52

13 OUGHT NOT TO EXIST 51

14 OUGHT NOT TO BELIEVE 45
15 OUGHT NOT TO FEEL 43
16 OUGHT NOT TO PASS 43

17 OUGHT NOT TO SUFFER 41

The Statesman

Exit the Ghost

The arts ought not to suffer, not the least in Bengal. At stake is the freedom of creative expression and aesthetics.

Feb 21, 2019

*It almost seems ridiculous to list the below versions as grammar points since they are so rare for native speakers.

iWeb cluster search for ought n't * *

1 OUGHT N’T TO BE 46
2 OUGHT N’T TO HAVE 26

iWeb cluster search for ought n't _v

1 OUGHT N’T BE 32

USA TODAY

‘Nothing to See Here’ except kids on fire in Kevin Wilson’s bizarre, fun new novel

Lillian is a bit of a pariah too, though she oughtn’t be. As a teen, she was kicked out of the posh prep school she shared with Madison; Madison …

Oct 29, 2019

KCBS

Answering Your Questions On Distance Learning At Home

So we oughtn’t be surprised when they are devastated at the loss of these milestones that we have set up as the be all and end all reason for …

Apr 6, 2020

2 OUGHT N’T HAVE 14

1 OUGHT IT NOT TO BE 18

The New Yorker

Yesterday’s News

“Ought it not to be a fixed rule of the Times to have its editorial writers not form a conclusion, or at least write a comment on a decision of the Supreme Court, before reading the full text of the opinions which give rise to the comment?” Justice Frankfurter wrote from Washington.

Dec 3, 2014

2 OUGHT HE NOT TO HAVE 15
3 OUGHT WE NOT TO BE 14
4 OUGHT IT NOT TO ENFORCE 10

Virtue Online

ANGLICAN ORDINARIATE: Msgr. Jeffrey Steenson is out, Bishop Steven Lopes is in

… Writ, yet, as it ought not to decree anything against the same, so besides the same ought it not to enforce anything to be believed for necessity of Salvation.

Nov 28, 2015

5 OUGHT WE NOT TO DO 10

ought negative

10 OUGHT NOT TO EXPECT 59

13 OUGHT NOT TO EXIST 51

17 OUGHT NOT TO SUFFER 41

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