The word “should” is used to give advice, make suggestions, or talk about what is the right thing to do. It can also express expectations or things that are likely.
- Advice/Suggestion: “You should drink more water.”
- Right Thing to Do: “He should apologize to her.”
- Expectation: “The train should arrive soon.”
The negative form, “should not” (shouldn’t), is used to say that something is not a good idea.
- Example: “You shouldn’t eat too much junk food.”
Note: “Should” does not change for different people, and it is followed by the base form of the verb.
How NOT to use ‘should’
Should is never followed by ‘to’:
- Incorrect: He should to call you.
- Correct: He should call you.
‘Should’ is never used in the past or the future.
More Examples
Positive:
- I should take a break from work.
- She should bring a jacket; it might get cold.
- They should visit the new cafe in town.
Negative:
- You shouldn’t spend all day on your phone.
- He shouldn’t drive so fast.
- We shouldn’t forget to send the invitation.
Interrogative:
- Should I call her now?
- Should he explain the situation to his boss?
- Should they arrive earlier for the meeting?
Table of Forms
| Person | Positive | Negative | Interrogative |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | I should exercise more. | I should not (shouldn’t) rest now. | Should I exercise more? |
| You | You should study English. | You should not skip lessons. | Should you study English? |
| He/She/It | He should call his doctor. | He should not stay up late. | Should he call his doctor? |
| We | We should plan the trip. | We should not waste time. | Should we plan the trip? |
| They | They should try this game. | They should not be rude. | Should they try this game? |
Quiz
Here’s a quiz to check your understanding of using ‘should’ in English.
When you’re ready, click NEXT.
Rezultati:
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Trebaće ti 2 minuta da pročitaš ovaj članak.
#1. You ______ stay up too late before an important meeting.
#2. He ______ _______ for being late.
#3. They ______ eat too much fast food.
#4. You ______ listen carefully to your teacher.
#5. She ______ worry so much about small things.
#6. We ______ bring an umbrella. It looks like it’s going to rain.
#7. Tom ______ be rude to his coworkers.
#8. You ______ be more patient with children.
#9. They ______ _____ so fast in bad weather.
#10. I ______ call my parents more often.
Keep learning:
This is where you can learn more about ‘have to’ in English.
Go to this post to learn more about using ‘must’ in English.
Go here to learn how to use ‘should’ in English.
In this post, you’ll learn more about using ‘can’ and ‘could’ in English.
If you click here, you can learn more about ‘may’ and ‘might’ in English.
Here’s how ‘will’ and ‘would’ are used in English.