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Quick Reference
"Should" is most often used to give advice or suggestions, or to state what a person thinks is good or right to do. It is also used to state expectations, or to make predictions about what we think is probable in the present or future.
Structure: "Should (not)" + bare infinitive verb. "Should" has a general present meaning, and can refer to the present or the future. (Example: "You should apply for a job here.")
"Should have" is used to state what was advisable, good, or right to do in the past.
Structure: "Should (not) have" + a past participle verb. The past cannot be changed, so "should have" is often used to show regret or criticism for something that was or was not done before. (Example: "You shouldn't have sent that email to your ex-boyfriend.")
"Should" has other formal uses which are not as common in everyday speech. These uses include: formal conditionals ("Should you need any help, don't hesitate to call me"), expressing uncertainty or doubt ("I shouldn't think you'll need your jacket today. It's quite warm out"), and expressing surprise or strong emotion ("I should hope so!").
Imagine that you have a job interview. The interview is scheduled for 2 p.m. You are determined to make a good impression, so you decide to arrive a little early. But how early? Thirty minutes? Twenty? Fifteen? Five? What is a polite arrival time which says, "I'm interested in this job, but I'm not desperate"? You realize that you want some advice, so you decide to send the following message to your friends: How early should you arrive for a job interview?
Ah, there is that magic word: should. You have used it because you want to know what the right thing to do is.
And you want to do the right thing in this case. Now, of course, your friends will give you different answers, such as, "Don't arrive too early," or "Don't arrive too late." They might also say, "You should get there ten minutes early," or "You should get there no less than fifteen minutes early, but no more than twenty."
As you can see, sometimes what is considered "right" is a matter of opinion. It can also be a matter of culture, or personal ethics, experiences, beliefs, and morals. But regardless of where your idea of "the right thing to do" comes from, you will probably use the word should to express it.
Oh, and you will probably use the words should have to express it in the past.
So, when do we use should, and when do we use should have?
In brief, should tells us what is advisable, good, or right to do, or what is expected or probable in the present or future. Should have tells us what was advisable, good, or right to do in the past. It often expresses regret or criticism for something done or not done before now.
That's a lot of information in three sentences, so let's break it down a little.
When and how to use should
Most often, we use should to give advice or suggestions about the general present or the future. As previously mentioned, we use should to say what we think is good or right to do. In terms of structure, should is a modal verb, which means it is always followed by a bare infinitive verb. To make a negative sentence with should, just add not after should, or use the contraction shouldn't. Let's take a look at some examples:
"I should call my mom more often." (This would be a good thing for me to do.)
"People should put their phones away during meals." (It is advisable for people to do this. I think it is rude if people do not put their phones away.)
"We should leave now if we want to avoid traffic." (It is advisable for us to leave now.)
"You shouldn't speak with food in your mouth." (It is rude or "not right" to speak with food in your mouth.)
"She should call them back tomorrow." (It is a good idea for her to call them back tomorrow.)
"You should drink more water before coming to aerobics class." (This is a useful suggestion for you.)
As you can see, you can use should to give general advice, such as, "People should put their phones away during meals," personal advice, such as, "I should call my mom more often," conditional advice, such as "We should leave now if we want to avoid traffic," and future advice, such as, "She should call them back tomorrow."
Let's think about general advice a little more. When we read or hear a sentence like, "People should put their phones away during meals," we are not only concerned with "the right thing to do," but with personal, societal, or cultural expectations. This is another important usage with should.
Using should for expectations
Sometimes, there is a link between what we think is right and what we expect from people and from the world we live in. With that in mind, we can use should to talk about expectations, as well as to make predictions. People's expectations can be about many things, and can come from different places. For instance, you can have expectations about:
People's behaviour
"People shouldn't eat fish or garlic on the bus. It's inconsiderate."
"My brother should pay me back by tomorrow."
What is likely to happen (You can also think of this category as predictions.)
"We should arrive downtown in about twenty minutes."
"There are only three minutes left in the game. Our team is ahead by three goals, so they should win."
Processes, actions, and results (You can think of this category as predictions as well.)
"Can you do the installation on Thursday instead?" "It shouldn't be a problem."
"The car should run much smoother after these repairs."
Present circumstances in general
"Darek should already be here. Where is he?"
"Where is our order? The food should be ready by now."
Furthermore, your expectations can come from many sources, including (but not limited to):
Rules or guidelines
"All assignments should be submitted by Friday at the latest."
"Employees should use their own computers if they want to work from home."
"There shouldn't be more than ten people on this elevator at one time."
Schedules or timelines
"Their plane should land in around thirty minutes. We should start driving to the airport." (This crosses over with discussing present circumstances or what we think is likely to happen.)
"The assignment shouldn't take longer than forty minutes to complete."
Cultural beliefs and practices
"You shouldn't eat meat on Fridays."
"People should wear black to funerals."
"The bride and groom shouldn't see each other before the wedding."
Personal feelings, knowledge, and experiences
"You should be able to catch more fish on the other side of the lake."
"You shouldn't need to use much pressure to open that jar."
"You should feel better after you drink this."
Finally, let's take a look at the question structure for should. Here it is:
(Question word) + should + subject + (not) bare infinitive
Or, for the contracted negative form:
(Questions word) + shouldn't + subject + bare infinitive
Here are some examples:
What should we do next?
Why shouldn't we invite Virginia?
Should I just wait here, or...?
How should we approach this?
How often should we meet?
Should they not be here right now?
Phew! That was a lot, wasn't it? But I hope it was clear and helpful. We'll return to should a little later, but for now, let's move on to should have.
When and how to use should have
Most often, should have is used to express what was advisable, good, or right to do in the past. We cannot change what happened in the past, so we often use should have to express regret or criticism for what was done or not done before now. In terms of structure, should have is followed by a past participle. To make it negative, add not after should, or use the contracted form, shouldn't have. Let's take a look at some examples:
"I should have read more books when I was a kid." (I regret not reading more books when I was a kid.)
"He shouldn't have quit his job." (I am criticizing his decision. What he did was not smart.)
"You should have told me this a lot sooner." (I am criticizing your decision not to tell me this sooner.)
"I hated that game! There should have been an easier way to save your progress." (I am criticizing as aspect of an old video game.)
"You shouldn't have cheated on your girlfriend." (This was not the right thing to do, and I am criticizing the decision you made to cheat on your girlfriend.)
You can also use should have to talk about expectations. When you do this, you are also often expressing criticism, blame, or frustration. For instance:
"The package should have arrived by now." (The package still isn't here. I expected it to be here by now.)
"They should have finished this project last week." (They didn't finish it last week, which was the original expectation.)
"The house should have been painted a long time ago." (I expected the house to be painted a long time ago.)
"You shouldn't have told your sister about the surprise party. Now, it's ruined!" (I'm blaming you for ruining the surprise.)
How are you doing so far? Not bad? Okay. Finally, because it is a bit complex, let's take a look at the question structure for should have. Here it is:
(Question word) + should + subject + (not) have + past participle
Or, for the contracted negative form:
(Question word) + shouldn't + subject + have + past participle
Here are some examples:
What time should I have arrived?
Shouldn't we have made a reservation before showing up at this restaurant?
What should he have done instead?
Should I not have parked there?
What time should we have booked instead?
How many should they have bought?
When should I have called you?
And that's it! There is only one small thing to talk about.
Formal uses of should
Let me get this out of the way first: The following uses of should are formal, which means they are not used often in everyday speech. However, you will 100% see them in classic literature and hear them in certain films. This does not mean these structures are not or cannot be used in speaking, but just be aware that if you do use them, you will sound a bit formal. As always, your tone, the context of the moment, and the manner of your speech are important.
With that out of the way, here are a couple of formal uses of should:
Conditionals
In many old books, you will find that should is often placed in the if-clause of a conditional sentence. Note the following two examples: "If you should need anything, please let me know," "If there should be any problems, please speak to the manager." Should can also be used as a substitute for would in the result clause. For instance, "If you accepted my invitation, I should be quite pleased." Finally, you can use an inverted conditional structure by removing the if and inverting should with the subject of the clause. Take a look: "Should you need any help, I will be happy to provide it." This is the same as saying "If you need any help," or "If you should need any help."
Expressing uncertainty or doubt
These should phrases often use the verbs think and doubt, though there are other constructions. Note the following examples: "You say she will be the next CEO of the company? I should doubt that very much," "I should find it hard to accept the evidence as it has been presented," "I should think it unlikely that we will succeed," "One should wonder about the true cause of this."
Finally, two of the most common formal sentences with should, which are actually used in everyday speech sometimes, are, "I should hope so," and, "I should hope not." These mean, "I hope so," and, "I hope not." They are also often said as, "I would hope so," and, "I would not not." Here are two contexts for the "I should hope" constructions:
"Will her dad pay for the meal?"
"I should hope so! He's the one who invited us."
"Is it going to rain today?" "I should hope not. The sky looks clear."
Less common are the formal sentences, "I should think so" and "I shouldn't think so," which mean, "I think so" and "I don't think so."
You want my advice? If you only remember two sentences from this formal section, I would suggest remembering, "I should hope so," and, "I should hope not." These are the most common of the bunch.
And that's everything. I hope I have explained the similarities and differences between should and should have in a clear and extensive way. If you have any questions or feedback, or if you feel I have missed something, please leave a comment below.
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