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Shall and Should for beginners

modalsshallshould

'Shall' and 'Should' are like relatives, because 'Should' is the past tense of 'Shall', but they have different functions despite their similarities.

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"Shall and Should" in English Grammar

The Modal Verb Should

We use 'should' to talk about 'advice and suggestions' in the present.

We must use the base form of the verb after 'should.'

For example:

I should help.

You should go.

He should work.

'Should' has only one form for all persons.

I should work.
He/She/It should work.
We/You/They should work.

Negation

The negative form of 'should' is 'shouldn’t.'

You shouldn't go.

He shouldn't call.

Warning

Do not use don’t/doesn’t/didn’t with 'should.'

Questions

To form questions, all you need to do is change the subject and 'should.'

A : Should I open the door?

B : Yes, you should.

C : No, you shouldn't.

We use 'should' and 'shouldn’t' in question tags.

A : He should work, shouldn't he?

B : Yes, he should. He should work.

C : No, he shouldn't. He shouldn't work.

Warning

Do not use do/does/did in questions with 'should.'

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