Sign in
What Is Should?
'Should' is a modal verb in English that is used to express advice, obligation, expectation, or probability.
Structure
Just like all the other modal verbs, 'should' is typically followed by the base form of the verb . Look at the following examples:
She
They
'Should' is also frequently used in negative sentences and questions.
To form a negative sentence with 'should', all you have to do is add 'not' after it.
Also, to form questions with 'should', it must be moved to the beginning of the sentence, before the subject.
Pay attention to the following examples:
She
We
As you can see, the modal only comes at the beginning of the question.
'Should' can also be used in question tags. Look below:
I think they should leave immediately,
Selina should run to get to her class,
Uses
As it was mentioned above, 'should' is commonly used in English. Below are its main functions:
- Giving advice or suggestion
- Talking about expectations and predicting the future
- Giving instructions
- Talking about obligations and expectations in the present
Giving Advice or Suggestion
Usually, 'should' is used when someone is giving advice to someone else. Look at the examples below:
She
They
He
We
Predicting the Future and Talking About Expectations
We can also use 'should' to talk about events that are likely to happen in the near future or at the present moment. Additionally, we can use 'should' to indicate that someone is expected to be somewhere. Look at the following examples:
She
They
Giving Instructions
'Should' is also used when we want to order or instruct someone to do something. Look at the following examples:
Everybody
She
Tip!
If you want to use a more obligatory modal when instructing or ordering someone, you can use 'must' instead of 'should'. Compare the following examples:
You
You
Here, as you can see, there is more force in the statement.
Talking About Obligations and Expectations in the Present Moment
We can also use 'should' with a different format when obligating someone to do something or expecting an event. Here, 'should' comes with the '-ing' form of the verb. The structure is as follows:
Should + be + '-ing' form of the verb
Study the following examples carefully:
You
They
Tip!
'Shall' is another modal verb used in English, but it is less common than other modals such as 'will' and 'should'. It is often used in formal contexts, particularly in British English, to express an intention or suggestion. Take a look at the examples below:
I
Comments
You might also like
Can and Could
Talent shows are a big thing now in our pop culture. If you want to participate in them, you should know how to talk about your abilities. Learn about it here!
May and Might
May and Might are modal verbs. Some people think they are interchangeable, especially in speech, but is there really no differences between these two?
Will and Would
These two modals are often confusing for learners, because they are used in quite similar situations. But they're different.
Must and Have to
'Have to' and 'must' have the same meaning and are used to express obligations. However, they are used in different situations and are not interchangeable.
