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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 give 'advice and suggestion' in the present.

Structure

The base form of the verb is used 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 'should not'. Often, the contracted form ('shouldn’t') is used in speech.

You \should not\ go.

He shouldn't call.

Warning

Don’t/doesn’t/didn’t are not used with 'should.'

Questions

To form questions, all you need to do is place 'should' at the beginning of the sentence, before the subject .

A : Should I open the door?

B : Yes, you should.

C : No, you shouldn't.

We use 'should' and 'shouldn’t' in tag questions as well.

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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