3-38. Ought: выражение предположений

 
Ought употребляется для выражения предположений со средней степенью уверенности (близко к вероятности, выражаемой глаголом should):

Henry ought to be here soon – he left home at six.
The weather ought to improve after the weekend.
The author is a well-known expert, so his book ought to be/ should be reliable.
That should/ ought to please you.
Bend Or is the horse that ought to win the race.
If he started at nine he ought to be/ should be here by four.
We're spending the winter in Miami. – That ought to be nice.

Для выражения предположения о том, что уже должно было случиться, может употребляться конструкция ought to have + past participle:

Bill ought to have got back home yesterday. Has anybody seen him?
Ten o'clock. She ought to have arrived at her office by now.
They left at nine, so they ought to / should have arrived by now.

Предположение может относиться и к будущему:

We ought to have finished painting the house by the end of next week.