What's the difference between ought and sought?

Ought


Definition:

  • (n. & adv.) See Aught.
  • (imp., p. p., or auxiliary) Was or were under obligation to pay; owed.
  • (imp., p. p., or auxiliary) Owned; possessed.
  • (imp., p. p., or auxiliary) To be bound in duty or by moral obligation.
  • (imp., p. p., or auxiliary) To be necessary, fit, becoming, or expedient; to behoove; -- in this sense formerly sometimes used impersonally or without a subject expressed.
  • () of Owe

Example Sentences:

  • (1) "I think that we've got to treat our kids well, but I don't think we ought to say there's no place ever for smacks.
  • (2) We recommend, that the term vitelline macular degeneration ought to be used intead of Best's macular degeneration.
  • (3) Van Gaal argued that Huth had grabbed Fellaini’s considerable hair and claimed it ought to have been a penalty but the Football Association’s disciplinary department will surely take action.
  • (4) Authors have previously published April 1988 a lecture where they criticize the bad denomination "passed coma" full of ambiguity for public mind, to which "brain death" ought to be preferred.
  • (5) It has been said that hyperfractionation radiotherapy might be a better treatment for a neuroblastoma than the conventional therapy, however, we would suggest that a modification of the radiotherapy schedule ought to depend on the type of cells, because there are cells which show broad shoulder curves and a strong capacity for repair.
  • (6) They, together with Rosicky, form the group who feel they ought to be getting more playing time but the opportunity to impress passed them by as Arsenal felt the force of Southampton’s endeavour and solidity.
  • (7) Alli almost scored with one of his first touches, denied by Martin Skrtel’s saving clearance, but England really ought to have created more clear chances given the amount of time they had on the ball.
  • (8) Dealing with the special problem of pregnancy in women with the biological disorder, one ought to consider the literature on the subject, showing the large occurrence of ante- and post-natal accidents.
  • (9) The authors suggest that there ought to be limits on the extent to which social and economic considerations in the provision of radiological services should be allowed to compromise sound principles in the radiation protection of the patient.
  • (10) Because it ought to be crystal clear what the BBC has agreed to do as part of its public service remit.
  • (11) There is going to be an urgent government inquiry with recommendations and, frankly the ABC ought to take some very strong action straightaway.” When asked whose heads should roll, Abbott ended the press conference and walked away.
  • (12) No true evangelical ought to be tempted to give such tales any credence whatsoever, no matter how popular they become,” Johnson wrote.
  • (13) On the face of it, Huhne's guilty plea last month on a charge of perverting the course of justice over a 2003 speeding case ought to have killed the Liberal Democrats' hopes of holding the seat.
  • (14) The paper proposes that in post-behaviouristic and post-phenomenological times an integration of frames of reference, designs and methodologies ought to be attempted, notwithstanding serious dissonances, disagreements, and professions-bound interests.
  • (15) Big tumors leading to displacement of intestinal or biliary organs ought to be removed in toto; this allows complete histological work up and exclusion of malignancy, and it does prevent recurrence of the tumor as well.
  • (16) Department of Health officials have made it clear that A&Es ought to share information with police, but a spokesperson admitted it simply did not know how many hospitals were operating the model.
  • (17) It’s more to do with the politics within the Coalition rather than what I think the community wants, which is to get on with this issue to be dealt with where it ought to be dealt with – and I think that’s the fed parliament.” Asked if his party would pass the plebiscite enabling legislation, Xenophon replied: “Right now it’s a no.
  • (18) In practice, there are now two or three classes of shareholders, and the only ones that ought to have the privileges of dividends and decision-making about the future of the companies they are said to own ought to be those that hold on to your shares for the longer term.
  • (19) If the party’s senior members cannot grasp this simple fact, then perhaps they ought to replace the word “Labour” in the party’s name – or cross the floor and join the Conservatives?
  • (20) We insist that its citizens ought to be more virtuous versions of ourselves; when they fall short, our rage is terrible.

Sought


Definition:

  • (imp. & p. p.) of Seek
  • () imp. & p. p. of Seek.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) Some common eye movement deficits, and concepts such as 'the neural integrator' and the 'velocity storage mechanism', for which anatomical substrates are still sought, are introduced.
  • (2) We sought additional evidence for an inverse relationship between functional CTL-target cell affinity on the one hand, and susceptibility of the CTL-mediated killing to inhibition by alpha LFA-1 and alpha Lyt-2,3 monoclonal antibodies on the other hand.
  • (3) Such was the mystique surrounding Rumsfeld's standing that an aide sought to clarify that he didn't stand all the time, like a horse.
  • (4) Early views of the Type A behaviour pattern (TABP) sought to disengage it from either neuroticism or emotional distress.
  • (5) This study sought to determine if and why barriers to the over-the-counter purchase of syringes in the St. Louis metropolitan area might exist, given that no ordinance prohibits such a sale there.
  • (6) Most initially sought the advanced degree in an attempt to gain greater patient involvement (43%).
  • (7) An expression of clinical applicability is sought for quantitating the availability of oxygen to the tissue from the blood.
  • (8) Critical information may necessarily have to be sought outside these limits for diagnostic purposes as well as successful treatment of family disease.
  • (9) In late 1983 the Hagahai sought medical aid at a mission station, an event which accelerated their contact with the common epidemic diseases of the highlands.
  • (10) Otolaryngologists have long sought to identify causes of sensorineural hearing loss that might be reversed by medical treatment.
  • (11) But Berlusconi and Sarkozy, seeking to curry favour with the strong far-right constituencies in both countries, sought to bury their differences by urging the rest of Europe to buy into their anti-immigration agenda.
  • (12) The money will initially be sought from governments.
  • (13) The presence or absence of the heterophile transplantation antigen was sought in renal tissue from stillborn infants, primary cell cultures, and several organs from adult human cadavers.
  • (14) Under any other circumstances, a penalty of life imprisonment could be imposed on both the woman undergoing the abortion and anyone assisting her – even if the abortion is sought because of a fatal foetal impairment, for example, or because the pregnancy is the result of rape.
  • (15) Therefore, we have sought to define the mechanism of peripheral MPP+ toxicity in the rat and mouse.
  • (16) While winds gusting to 170mph caused significant damage, the devastation in areas such as Tacloban – where scenes are reminiscent of the 2004 Indian ocean tsunami – was principally the work of the 6-metre-high storm surge, which carried away even the concrete buildings in which many people sought shelter.
  • (17) Buckingham Palace was drawn into the dispute when it was revealed that Pownall had sought advice from the Lord Chamberlain, a key officer in the royal household, on the potential misuse of the portcullis emblem due to it being the property of the Queen.
  • (18) We therefore sought to determine whether doxorubicin in the presence of NADH dehydrogenase and the transition metal ions Fe(III) or Cu(II) induces DNA base modifications in isolated human chromatin.
  • (19) Both sides sought a decisive goal in a frenetic finish but ultimately the league leaders and the side fighting relegation shared the points and Mourinho wound up making dark allusions to the influence of officials .
  • (20) The 27 women who were interviewed had sought prenatal care early, late or not at all.