should
- 01 A1 Beginner
modal v.you use this to give advice or say that something is the right thing to do.
modal v.used to express a recommendation, moral obligation, or the most advisable course of action.
Simple“You should eat more vegetables if you want to stay healthy.”
In context“The committee decided that the department should implement stricter protocols to prevent future data breaches.”
UsageFollowed by the bare infinitive without 'to'.
Teacher's tipLearners often confuse 'should' with 'must'; explain that 'should' is usually a suggestion or a duty, while 'must' is a hard requirement.
PitfallYou should to go home. You should go home.Do not use 'to' after should. It is followed by the base form of the verb.
- 02 B1 Intermediate
modal v.you use this to say that you expect something to happen because it is likely.
modal v.used to indicate that an event or state is probable or expected based on current facts.
Simple“The bus should be here in five minutes if the traffic is light.”
In context“Given the current rate of progress, the construction crew should finish the structural work before the winter rains begin.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
modal v.used in 'if' sentences to talk about things that might happen.
modal v.used in conditional clauses to express a possibility, often replacing 'if' in formal inversion.
Simple“Should you need any help, please call me at any time.”
In context“Should the negotiations fail to reach a consensus by midnight, the mediators are prepared to suggest a temporary cooling-off period.”
UsageOften used in the 'should you...' inversion at the start of a sentence.
Teacher's tipThis is a high-level formal structure. Advise students to use 'if' in everyday speech but recognize this in formal emails.
- 04 C1 Advanced
modal v.an old-fashioned or very formal way to say 'would' when talking about yourself.
modal v.used with 'I' or 'we' as a formal alternative to 'would' in conditional structures.
Simple“I should be delighted to join you for dinner next week.”
In context“We should be most grateful if you could forward the signed documents at your earliest convenience.”
UsageLimited to first-person subjects ('I' or 'we').
Teacher's tipThis is increasingly rare in modern English. Students should know it exists in literature but avoid using it themselves.
Synonyms - 05 C2 Proficiency
n.something that people feel they must do, even if they do not want to.
n.a duty or obligation, often contrasted with what is actually happening.
Simple“Life is full of 'shoulds' that make us feel guilty.”
In context“The philosopher explored the tension between the 'is' of reality and the 'should' of moral idealism.”
UsageUsually used in philosophical or psychological contexts.
Teacher's tipThis is a nominalization of the modal verb. It is very rare and usually appears in discussions about ethics or psychology.
From Middle English scholde, from Old English sċolde, first and third person preterite form of sċulan (“should,” “have to,” “to owe”), the ancestor of English shall. By surface analysis, shall + -ed. Cognate with German sollte, Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌿𐌻𐌳𐌰 (skulda), Swedish skulle. Related to Middle English shild and shildy. The loss of /l/ in this word is probably due to weak stress, as in would and could (though in the latter, the /l/ was due to the analogy of the former two).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.