Complete the sentence with suitable option:-
You _________ stood by your friends in their bad times.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → ought to have
Complete sentence: You ought to have stood by your friends in their bad times. The verb "stood" is a past participle, so it needs have before it: ought to have stood. To stand by someone is to support them.
| Option | Meaning and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) ought to have (answer) | Ought to expresses moral duty. Ought to have + past participle speaks of a duty in the past that was not done, and so expresses regret or criticism. | You ought to have told me the truth. |
| (2) should | "Should stood" is ungrammatical. "Should" takes the base form ("should stand") or "should have stood". | – |
| (3) must | "Must stood" is ungrammatical. "Must" also takes the base form. | – |
| (4) can have | "Can have stood" speaks of possibility, and it is used mainly in questions and negatives. It does not express duty. | – |
Contrast: "ought to" + base form is a present duty. "Ought to have" + past participle is a past duty that was not done.