should

Giving Advice or an Expectation

Level 3

Should can recommend an action or indicate what is expected: You should rest. A prediction with should is not a promise that the event will happen.

How It Works

Should can advise an action or express an expectation. You should rest recommends rest. The bus should come soon predicts what is expected, without promising that the bus will definitely arrive at that time.

Use the surrounding reason to distinguish advice from prediction. Advice may be gentle or strong depending on the setting; should alone does not determine the relationship. Keep the modal before the base verb. Singlish can also state advice in other local frames, but that does not make this shared English construction unavailable.

Examples (4)

  1. You should rest first.

    I advise you to rest first.

  2. We should bring water.

    It would be sensible for us to bring water.

  3. The bus should come soon.

    The bus is expected to arrive soon.

  4. She should be home by now.

    She is expected to be home by now.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

shouldLevel 3Giving Advice or an Expectation

Learn This First

Contrast necessity with a recommendation or an expectation.