What is Should? English Knowledge About Should

The Should form is very common and is used in both everyday English communication and formal situations. However, many people still do not fully understand how to use Should. Let’s take a look at today’s article to explore the detailed knowledge about Should with PREP!

I. What is Should?

Should, pronounced /ʃʊd/, serves as a modal verb and means: to do something or to have to do something.

For example:

• Shouldn’t Hanna get home early? 

• Martin should be working at the company right now. 

II. The structures of Should in English

Let’s explore how to use Should with PREP below!

1. General Structure of Should

Structure:

S + should (not) + V

This Should structure is commonly used in the following situations:

• To give advice or make recommendations: Hanna should not run because the floor is slippery. 

• To talk about obligation, but with a weaker connotation than “must”: Jessica should submit the report by 8 a.m. 

• To talk about probability and expectation: Martin should be here by midnight.

• To express a conditional form in an inverted condition in the first conditional: Should Hanna get the prize, she’ll treat John to a meal. 

2. Should have 

The structure Should have, followed by a past participle, is used to talk about something that should have happened in the past but did not. When "not" is added after "should," this structure expresses something that should not have happened but did occur. However, the Should not have structure is often used as a form of politeness rather than criticism.

Structure:

S + should (not) have + PP

For example:

• Hanna should have told John about the accident. 

• Martin shouldn’t have listened to Anna. 

3. Should be V-ing

Structure:

S + should be + V-ing

The Should be structure has two meanings:

• To express an action that may be happening at the moment of speaking:

  • It’s 9 am, Hanna should be working right now. 

  • Anna should be studying for your exams right now. 

• To imply that the subject is not fulfilling their obligation or is acting inappropriately:

  • It’s 9 am! Hanna, you should be studying right now! 

  • Emi should be working on her project instead of watching TV. 

Note: Depending on the tone of voice, we can determine whether it’s a prediction or a remark of reproach.

4. Should not…

Should + not (abbreviated as shouldn't) is the negative form of the Should structure. Shouldn't means to advise against doing something.

S+ Should + not + V

For example:

• You shouldn’t throw your litter onto the street. 

• He shouldn’t play outdoors too long if he doesn’t want to get sunburned. 

III. How to Use Should in Communication

Let’s explore how to use Should in communication with PREP below!

1. To talk about the ideal situation

In communication, the Should structure is used to discuss the best possible situation or what you ought to do. For example:

• This country should have more public transport system. 

• Hanna should go now, or she will miss the flight. 

2. To indicate something that is likely true

The Should structure is also used to express a belief about a situation that the speaker expects or predicts is likely true. For example:

• It’s 6 pm. There should be in traffic jam right now. 

• Hanna is an introvert. Hanna shouldn’t want to go to a party. 

3. To replace Would or Shall

The Should structure can also be used in place of Would when the subject is “I” or “We” to add formality. For example:

• If Anna’s company gave her a chance, she should/would go on a business trip to the Korea. 

Additionally, the Should structure can replace Shall when converting direct quotations into reported speech. For example:

• “I shall buy you a new laptop”, Martin said. 

-> Martin said he should buy me a new laptop. 

4. To express gratitude

Instead of saying "Thank you," you can use the structure "You shouldn’t have!" when receiving a gift or help from someone. This usage is suitable only in spoken language. For example:

• A: Hanna, I have a gift for you! 

• B: You shouldn’t have! 

5. To give advice

To advise someone to do or not do something, you can use the following structure:

S + Should (not) + V + O

For example:

• You should go to bed early. 

• You should not behave like that.

6. To use in conditional sentences

In formal writing, should can be applied in first conditional sentences. Specifically, should will be used in the clause with if (while the clause without if maintains its usual form) in one of the following structures:

IV. Distinguishing Should from Ought To and Would

In English, the structures Should and Ought to, as well as Would, have similar meanings; however, there are some differences in their usage. Let’s explore these differences with PREP!

1. Phân biệt Should và Ought to

2. Phân biệt Should và Would

V. Some Phrases Accompanying Should in English

In English, in addition to the basic Should structures mentioned above, several phrases accompany Should to form common idioms as follows:

VI. Exercises on the Should Structure with Answers

After learning the theory about the Should structure, let's apply the rules and usage in the small exercise below!

1. Exercise

Fill in the blanks with either Should or Ought to.

1. Hanna _____ drive more slowly in this raining weather. 

2. Peter thinks this city _____ have more parks.

3. “Do you think Jenny _____ invite John to her party?” “Yes, I think she  _____.”

4. Harry  _____ eat lots of vegetables every day.

5. This TV never works as it  _____. Look at the screen, it’s terrible! 

6. There  _____ be some good movies at the cinema this month.

7. Martin _____ have apologized to Hanna after he was so rude. He’ll call her later to say sorry.

8. Why _____ anyone want to eat something so horrible?

9. Why _____ she not buy it if she can afford it?

10. You _____ be kinder to him. He is just a kid.

2. Answer key

This concludes the detailed knowledge about the Should structure that PREP has compiled for you. Now you know what Should + what and the meanings of the Should formulas, right? Wishing you success!