WAEC - English Language (1995 - No. 65)
From the words or group of words lettered A to D, choose the one that best completes each of the following sentences.
Dupe... have spoken so rudely to her mother.
Dupe... have spoken so rudely to her mother.
shouldn't
daren't
oughtn't
wouldn't
Wyjaśnienie
The correct phrase should be "oughtn't have spoken", which expresses regret or criticism about a past action. Oughtn't" (Option C) is the contraction of "ought not," which is used to indicate that something was wrong or inappropriate.
While "shouldn't" expresses a general prohibition or advice against an action, "oughtn't" conveys a sense of obligation. It signifies that it is required of her not to have spoken so rudely to her mother.