Page 78 - English Grammar in Use

Unit
33 should 1

A You should do something = it is a good thing to do or the right thing to do.
You can use should to give advice or to give an opinion:
You look tired. You should go to bed.
The government should do more to improve
schools.
a: Should we invite Stephanie to the party?
b: Yes, I think we should.
The man on the motorbike should be wearing a helmet.

You shouldn’t do something = it isn’t a good thing to do:
You shouldn’t believe everything you read in newspapers.

We often use should with I think / I don’t think / Do you think … ? :
I think the government should do more to improve schools.
I don’t think you should work so hard.
a: Do you think I should apply for this job?
b: Yes, I think you should.
Should is not as strong as must or have to:
You should apologise. (= it would be a good thing to do)
You must apologise. / You have to apologise. (= you have no alternative)

B We use should when something is not right or what we expect:
Where’s Tina? She should be here by now.
(= she isn’t here yet, and this is not normal)
The price on this packet is wrong. It should be £2.50, not £3.50.
We also use should to say that we expect something to happen:
Helen has been studying hard for the exam, so she should pass.
(= I expect her to pass)
There are plenty of hotels in the town. It shouldn’t be hard to find a place to stay.
(= I don’t expect it to be hard)

C You should have done something = you didn’t do it, but it would have been a good thing to do:
You missed a great party last night. You should have come. Why didn’t you?
(= you didn’t come, but it would have been good to come)
I wonder why they’re so late. They should have been here long ago.
You shouldn’t have done something = you did it, but it wasn’t a good thing to do:
I’m feeling sick. I shouldn’t have eaten so much. (= I ate too much)
She shouldn’t have been listening to our conversation. It was private.
(= she was listening)
Compare should (do) and should have (done):
You look tired. You should go to bed now.
You went to bed very late last night. You should have gone to bed earlier.

D ought to …
You can use ought to instead of should in the sentences on this page.
We say ‘ought to do’ (with to):
Do you think I ought to apply for this job? (= Do you think I should apply … ?)
Jack ought not to go to bed so late. (= Jack shouldn’t go …)
It was a great party last night. You ought to have come. (= You should have come)

should 2 ➜ Unit 34 should and had better ➜ Unit 35B
66 Modal verbs (can/could/will/would etc.) ➜ Appendix 4