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Question

Difficulty: MediumModal Auxiliaries and Expressing Modality

During a post-flood facility audit, the safety consultant remarked, 'The maintenance crew ought to have inspected the main drainage pipes before the storm.' Which of the following best interprets the consultant's statement?

  1. The maintenance crew had an obligation to inspect the drainage pipes, but they failed to do so.Answer
  2. B
    The maintenance crew might can inspect the drainage pipes whenever heavy storms occur.
  3. C
    The maintenance crew successfully inspected the drainage pipes prior to the arrival of the storm.
  4. D
    The maintenance crew was strictly forbidden from inspecting the drainage pipes until the storm ended.

Answer

The statement means that the maintenance crew had an obligation to inspect the drainage pipes, but they failed to do so.
The modal phrase 'ought to have inspected' expresses a past obligation or recommended action that was not carried out. Therefore, the statement implies that inspecting the pipes was the crew's responsibility, but they neglected to do it before the storm.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the modal verb structure in the given statement.
The auxiliary verb phrase used is 'ought to have inspected'.
Identifying the structure 'modal auxiliary + have + past participle' is essential for determining tense and aspect.
2
Determine the semantic function of 'ought to have + past participle'.
This structure conveys past advisability or obligation that was neglected or left unfulfilled.
'Ought to' expresses duty/advisability, and combining it with the perfect aspect ('have inspected') places that duty in the past while signaling non-performance.
3
Evaluate the options against this semantic function.
The interpretation stating that the crew had an obligation but failed to fulfill it accurately reflects the unfulfilled past obligation.
Only one option correctly captures both the element of duty and the fact that the action was not carried out.

Key Concept

Unfulfilled Past Modality with 'Ought to have'
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Modal Auxiliaries and Expressing Modality

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