should
modal verb
ukstrong/ʃʊd/weak/ʃəd/usstrong/ʃʊd/weak/ʃəd/shouldmodal verb(DUTY)
A2
used to say oraskwhat is thecorrectorbestthing to do:
应当，应该If you'reannoyedwith him, you shouldtellhim.如果你生他的气，就应该告诉他。
You should take thebus- it's theeasiestway to get there.你应该坐公共汽车，这是去那儿最容易的办法。
"Should Iapologizeto him?" "Yes, Ithinkyou should."“我应该向他道歉？”“是的，我想你应该道歉。”
You should beashamedof yourselves.你应该为自己感到羞耻。
Thiscomputerisn'tworkingas it should.这台电脑不能正常工作。
There should be aninvestigationinto thecauseof thedisaster.应该对这次灾难的起因进行调查。
He said that I shouldseeadoctor.他说我应该去找医生看看。
I shouldhavewritten to her but I haven't hadtime.我本应该给她写信，可是没有时间。
You shouldn'thavesaid anything.你本来什么都不该说。
Where should(= do yousuggestthat)wemeettonight?我们今晚应该在哪里见面?
It'srathercoldin here. Should I(= do youwantme to)turntheheatingon?这儿比较冷，要我打开暖气吗？
- You should alwayscheckyouroil,waterandtyresbefore takingyourcaron alongtrip.
- IthinkI should have givencheckatmove23insteadoftryingtofindasafersquarefor therook.
- Who should I make out thischequeto ?
- Under nocircumstancesshould youapproachthe man.
- Alongwoolcoatis aclassicnowardrobeshould be without.
Duty, obligation and responsibility
- accountable
- answer forsomething
- answerable
- baby
- brother
- commitment
- fail
- fiefdom
- gotta
- had better/best dosomethingidiom
- hat
- havesomethingonyourhandsidiom
- pass the buckidiom
- payyourduesidiom
- pigeon
- portfolio
- purview
- remit
- someone'sanswer tosomeone/somethingidiom
- stick
shouldmodal verb(PROBABLE)
B1
used to show when something islikelyorexpected:
将，会，该Mydrycleaningshould bereadythisafternoon.我干洗的衣服今天下午应该洗好了。
You shouldfindthisguidebookhelpful.你会发现这本指南很有用。
Iwonderwhat'shappenedto Annie. She should be(= it wasexpectedthat she would be)here by now.不知道安妮出什么事了。她本该现在就到这儿的。
UK"Could you have thereportreadybyFriday?" "Yes, I shouldthinkso(= it islikelythat it will beready)."“你能在本周五之前把报告准备好吗？”“我想可以。”
This should be good(= this islikelyto beinterestingoramusing).这应该很好。
- Thebuildingworkshould befinishedbyChristmas.
- We should get around 50peopleat theevent.
- Ithinkit shouldstaysunnyallafternoon.
- According to histeacher, he shouldpasstheexam.
- Thefootballmatchshould be reallytense.
Possible and probable
- always
- anything's possibleidiom
- arguably
- as never beforeidiom
- auspiciously
- bet
- fair
- it isn't over until the fat lady singsidiom
- lean
- lean towards sth
- liable
- likelihood
- manage
- probable
- probably
- prospective
- prospectively
- realm
- tend
- tip
shouldmodal verb(POSSIBILITY)
formal
used when referring to apossibleeventin thefuture:
万一…的话，如果…的话If anyone shouldaskfor me, I'll be in the manager'soffice.万一有人找我，我就在经理办公室。
Should you(= if you)everneed anything,pleasedon'thesitatetocontactme.如果你需要什么，请直接同我联系吧。
mainlyUK
used after "that" andadjectivesornounsthat show anopinionorfeeling:
（用于 that 和表示观点或感情的形容词或名词之后）竟然It'soddthatshe shouldthinkI wouldwanttoseeher again.真是怪事，她竟然会认为我还想再见到她。
It's sounfairthatshe shouldhavediedsoyoung.她年纪轻轻就去世了，真是不公平。
mainlyUK
used after "that" tosuggestthat asituationpossiblyexistsor might come intoexistence:
（用于 that 之后，表示某种情形可能存在或可能出现）可能会Weagreedthatwe shouldmeetthefollowingweek.我们约定在接下来的那个星期见面。
mainlyUKformal
used after "so that" and "inorderthat" to showpurpose:
（用于 so that 和 in order that 之后，表示目的）会，就He took hisumbrellaso that he shouldn't getwet.他带了雨伞，这样就不会淋湿了。
mainlyUKformal
used after "forfearthat", "incase", and "lest":
（用于 for fear that，in case 和 lest 之后）He took hisumbrellaincaseit shouldrain.他带了雨伞，以防下雨。
- Should you need it, there's morefoodin thefridge.
- It'sstrangethat he should haveconfidedin her.
- Weagreedthat we shouldmeetthe nextweek.
- Should themoneynot beforthcoming, we will have to go tocourt.
- Iagreedthat he shouldcontinuetoseethechildren.
Possible and probable
- always
- anything's possibleidiom
- arguably
- as never beforeidiom
- auspiciously
- bet
- fair
- it isn't over until the fat lady singsidiom
- lean
- lean towards sth
- liable
- likelihood
- manage
- probable
- probably
- prospective
- prospectively
- realm
- tend
- tip
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Opinions, beliefs and points of view
Suggestions & proposals
Goals and purposes
shouldmodal verb(REASON)
B2mainlyUK(alsowould)
used after "why" when giving oraskingthereasonfor something:
（给出或询问原因时用于why之后）竟会Why should anyonewanttoeatsomething sohorrible?怎么会有人想吃这么可怕的东西？
Why should she notbuyit if she canaffordit?如果她买得起，怎么不买呢？
- Why should I do all thetidyingup?
- Why should theboysget more toeatthan thegirls?
- Why should Mauricecareif theshopclosesdown?
- I don'tseewhy he should get moremoneythan me.
- Why should they have totravelsecondclass?
Motives and reasons
- causeless
- drive
- first principles
- from a place ofidiom
- ground
- hidden agenda
- impulse
- in the name ofsomethingidiom
- inclination
- mainspring
- motivation
- motive
- name
- object
- peg
- place
- rationale
- reason
- why
shouldmodal verb(WOULD)
UKformal
usedinsteadof "would" when thesubjectis "I" or "we":
（当主语为 I 或 we 时代替 would）I should like acupofteabefore I go tobed.我睡觉之前想喝杯茶。
I shouldn'texpectyou topay, ofcourse.我当然不会指望你付钱。
- IthinkI should like to go tobednow.
- I shouldn'twantto bepaidfor thework.
- I should like tospeakwith Mr Lansley.
shouldmodal verb(SURPRISE)
used toexpresssurpriseinsentencesthat are in theformofquestions:
（用于问句中表示惊讶）竟然，怎么会I was just getting off thebuswhen who should IseebutmyoldschoolfriendPat!我刚要下车时竟然看到了我的老校友帕特！
Expressions of surprise
- accha
- achha
- actually
- ay
- begorrah
- blow
- fancy
- glory
- heaven
- heavens (above)!idiom
- hell's bells
- hold onidiom
- how about that?idiom
- I ask you!idiom
- omg
- sheesh
- shit
- shock, horror!idiom
- shut
- shut the front door!idiom
shouldmodal verb(ADVISE)
UK(alsowould)
used after "I" when givingadvice:
（用于 I 之后，表示给出建议）I shouldn'tworryabout it if I were you.如果我是你，我不会担心这件事。
I shouldn't(= Iadviseyou not to)letitworryyou.我认为你不必担心。
Giving advice
- (a) word to the wiseidiom
- advice column
- advice columnist
- advisability
- adviser
- agony aunt
- agony uncle
- backseat driver
- bum steer
- clinic
- consultant
- consulting
- counselling
- handler
- hold a clinicidiom
- shoe
- steer
- talk some sense into sbidiom
- waste
- would
Grammar
Ought toorshould?
Ought to and should are similar in meaning. Should is more common than ought to. Ought to is more formal than should:…Should
Should comes first in the verb phrase (after the subject and before another verb):…Should: forms
Should comes first in the verb phrase (after the subject and before another verb):…Should: uses
We use should most commonly to talk about what is the ideal or best thing to do in a situation:…Shouldandwould
We use should as a more formal alternative to would with I and we in conditional clauses.…Shouldandought to
Should and ought to have similar meanings and uses. Ought to is more formal and less common than should:…Should you(Shouldwith inversion)
In formal situations, we can use should + subject (s) + verb (v) instead of if:…Had you(Hadwith inversion)
In formal situations, we can use had + subject + verb instead of if in third conditional sentences:…If+were to
In formal situations, we can use if + were to when we talk about things that might happen but which we think are unlikely:…As long as,so long as,providing, etc.
Sometimes we need to impose specific conditions or set limits on a situation. In these cases, conditional clauses can begin with phrases such as as long as, so long as, only if, on condition that, providing (that), provided (that).…Orandotherwise
We often use or and otherwise with conditional meanings:…Supposing
Supposing may be used with a conditional meaning. It can be used in first, second or third conditional sentences. The speaker invites the listener to imagine a situation:…If+should
We can use if with should to refer to events which might happen by chance or by accident:…Conditionals: other expressions (unless, should, as long as)
Conditional clauses can begin with unless. Unless means something similar to ‘if … not’ or ‘except if’.…Unless
Conditional clauses can begin with unless. Unless means something similar to ‘if … not’ or ‘except if’.…Idioms
how shouldIknow?
I should hope/say/think so/not
I should think not/so (too)!
Ishould be so lucky!
theyshould worry!
you should have seen/heardsomething/someone
you shouldn't have