Types of meanings denoted by the verb ought to
Розміщено 11-05-10 у розділі Освіта.
Типи значень, які виражає модальне дієслово ought to
The verb ought descends from the verb agan past tense ahte, which had in the Old English the meaning “to have, to own (possess)”. Under the influence of the row of phonetic events on time of the Early English period the infinitive agan changed into owe, and the past tense into ought. The verb agan – owe passed a complicated way of the development, as a result of which it took a new, transition meaning “to be due (owe)” (money etc.), and also more general meaning of obligation, as for example:
Also ye owen to encline and bowe youre herte to take the patience… (Chaucer, Cant. Tales, 401).
(Ви повинні також схилити своє серце до терпіння…) [6; p. 62].
Simultaneously with the indicative form of the verb owe in the same common meaning of obligation was used the conjunctive form of the past tense ought. Through the shade of the convention, peculiar to ought as the form of the conjunctive, the instructive character of the expression was underlined:
Nece, quod he it ought ynough suffice Five hours for to slepe upon a night (Chaucer, Cant. Tales, 353).
(“Племінниця, – сказав він, – повинно б достатньо бути п’ять годин сну на ніч”) [6; p. 63].
Gradually the indicative forms of the verb “owe” became out of use in the analogous meaning, and as the general meaning obtain the transitive meaning “to be due (owe)” (money etc.). In the XV century this verb had the new past tense – owed ad exemplum the so-called regular verbs. The form ought obtained definite meanings shade of obligation: an expression of moral duty, moral obligation. Thus, ought separates from the verb “owe” both phonetically and semantically and since XVI – the beginning of XVII century obtained the meaning of a separate, independent verb. By this, when ought became a separate verb, the use of the particle “to” with the infinitive became generally adopted norm, and ought regularly accepts the infinitive with the particle “to”.
Verb ought has the meaning of obligation.
e.g. “Well, it’s a fine book, and everybody ought to read it.”
(“Чудова книга, її повинен прочитати кожен.”) [28; p. 23].
e.g. “Do you mean that we oughtn’t to paint other human beings?” asked miss Carter”.
(“Ви маєте на увазі, що ми не повинні малювати інших людей?” – запитала міс Картер.”) [30; p. 79].
e.g. “I know it’s very naughty, and I ought to be working, but I really must have some air.”
(“Я знаю, що це примхливо, і що я повинна працювати, але мені дійсно треба трохи повітря.”) [30; p. 84].
Besides verb ought expresses shades of obligation, which characterize the action, expressed by the infinitive, as an appropriate, corresponding, recommended, desirable.
e.g. “Have I said anything I oughtn’t?”
(“Чи я сказала щось, чого не слід було говорити?”) [31; p. 92].
e.g. “He thinks we ought to get back to Byzantine styles or else not paint at all.”
(“Він думає, що нам слід повернутися до візантійського стилю, або не малювати взагалі.”) [30; p. 52]
Verb ought can express obligation concerning the past.
e.g. “He ought to have gone into school long ago.”
(“Він вже давно повинен був піти в школу”.) [30; p. 18].
Verb ought has also the meaning of probability or supposition with the shade of certainty, but only in combination with simple infinitive.
e.g. – “It’ll be lovely round there to-day”.
– “Yes, it ought to be quite nice”.
(– Там сьогодні буде чудово.
– Так, мабуть, буде дуже гарно.) [6; p. 65].
e.g. “It is the last of the Madeira I had from Mr. Jolyon when we came in here – never been moved; it ought to be in prime condition still.”
(“Це остання пляшка мадери з тих, які мені подарував містер Джоліон, коли ми приїхали сюди, її з тих пір не рухали; вино мабуть, як і колись чудове). [6; p. 65].
Ought to in this meaning is generally found in affirmative sentences and in combination with the simple infinitive. The use of ought to in this case is not very common as this meaning is normally rendered by must. In this meaning ought to, as well as must, can be rendered into Ukrainian as “напевно”, “мабуть”.
Теги: in English, дипломні
