SHOULD

Etymology

Verb

should

(auxiliary) Be obliged to; have an obligation to; indicates that the subject of the sentence has some obligation to execute the sentence predicate or that the speaker has some strong advice but has no authority to enforce it.

(auxiliary) ought to; speaker's opinion, or advice that an action is correct, beneficial, or desirable.

(auxiliary) Will be likely to (become or do something); indicates a degree of possibility or probability that the subject of the sentence is likely to execute the sentence predicate.

(auxiliary, subjunctive) Used as a variant of the present subjunctive.

(auxiliary) simple past tense of shall.

(auxiliary, formal, literary) A variant of would when used with first person subjects.

Usage notes

• Should has, as its most common meaning in modern English, the sense ought as in I should go, but I don't see how I can. However, the older sense as the subjunctive of the future indicative auxiliary, shall, is often used with I or we to indicate a more polite form than would: I should like to go, but I can't. In much speech and writing, should has been replaced by would In contexts of this kind, but it remains in conditional subjunctives: should (never would) I go, I should wear my new dress.

• (obligation): Contrast with stronger auxiliary verb must, which indicates that the speaker believes the subject is required to execute the predicate, or have to which indicates that the speaker believes the subject is required to execute, although speaker might disagree with the principle, and should which is merely advice - take it or leave it.

• (likely): Possibility, or probability. Contrast with stronger auxiliary verb in the affirmative must, and negative sense can't, which indicate that there is a logical imperative certainty that the subject will (or will not) execute the predicate. Also compare with the weaker might, which indicates at most a 50/50 possibility, or probability.

• (subjunctive): In American English, the present subjunctive is commonly used instead of should (e.g, "suggest that he stay"), while in British English, should is commoner (e.g, "suggest that he should stay"). Both forms of English, however, sometimes use should in certain conditionals (e.g, "If I should be in trouble, I shall call you"). Furthermore, should is not used in independent clauses with the present subjunctive, many of which clauses are now fossilized expressions (e.g, "Peace be with you", "suffice it to say"; never should be or should suffice).

• See the usage notes at shall.

Synonyms

• (obligation): ought

Antonyms

• (obligation): shouldn't

Noun

should (plural shoulds)

A statement of what ought to be the case as opposed to what is the case.

Verb

should (third-person singular simple present shoulds, present participle shoulding, simple past and past participle shoulded)

To make a statement of what ought to be true, as opposed to reality.

Source: Wiktionary

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Should, imp. of Shall. Etym: [OE. sholde, shulde, scholde, schulde, AS. scolde, sceolde. See Shall.]

Definition: Used as an auxiliary verb, to express a conditional or contingent act or state, or as a supposition of an actual fact; also, to express moral obligation (see Shall); e. g.: they should have come last week; if I should go; I should think you could go. "You have done that you should be sorry for." Shak.

Syn.

– See Ought.

SHALL

Shall, v. i. & auxiliary. [imp. Should.] Etym: [OE. shal, schal, imp. sholde, scholde, AS. scal, sceal, I am obliged, imp. scolde, sceolde, inf. sculan; akin to OS. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skolda, D. zullen, pres. zal, imp. zoude, zou, OHG. solan, scolan, pres. scal, sol. imp. scolta, solta, G. sollen, pres. soll, imp. sollte, Icel. skulu, pres. skal, imp. skyldi, SW. skola, pres. skall, imp. skulle, Dan. skulle, pres. skal, imp. skulde, Goth. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skulda, and to AS. scyld guilt, G. schuld guilt, fault, debt, and perhaps to L. scelus crime.]

Note: [Shall is defective, having no infinitive, imperative, or participle.]

1. To owe; to be under obligation for. [Obs.] "By the faith I shall to God" Court of Love.

2. To be obliged; must. [Obs.] "Me athinketh [I am sorry] that I shall rehearse it her." Chaucer.

3. As an auxiliary, shall indicates a duty or necessity whose obligation is derived from the person speaking; as, you shall go; he shall go; that is, I order or promise your going. It thus ordinarily expresses, in the second and third persons, a command, a threat, or a promise. If the auxillary be emphasized, the command is made more imperative, the promise or that more positive and sure. It is also employed in the language of prophecy; as, "the day shall come when . . . , " since a promise or threat and an authoritative prophecy nearly coincide in significance. In shall with the first person, the necessity of the action is sometimes implied as residing elsewhere than in the speaker; as, I shall suffer; we shall see; and there is always a less distinct and positive assertion of his volition than is indicated by will. "I shall go" implies nearly a simple futurity; more exactly, a foretelling or an expectation of my going, in which, naturally enough, a certain degree of plan or intention may be included; emphasize the shall, and the event is described as certain to occur, and the expression approximates in meaning to our emphatic "I will go." In a question, the relation of speaker and source of obligation is of course transferred to the person addressed; as, "Shall you go" (answer, "I shall go"); "Shall he go" i. e., "Do you require or promise his going" (answer, "He shall go".) The same relation is transferred to either second or third person in such phrases as "You say, or think, you shall go;" "He says, or thinks, he shall go." After a conditional conjunction (as if, whether) shall is used in all persons to express futurity simply; as, if I, you, or he shall say they are right. Should is everywhere used in the same connection and the same senses as shall, as its imperfect. It also expresses duty or moral obligation; as, he should do it whether he will or not. In the early English, and hence in our English Bible, shall is the auxiliary mainly used, in all the persons, to express simple futurity. (Cf. Will, v. t.) Shall may be used elliptically; thus, with an adverb or other word expressive of motion go may be omitted. "He to England shall along with you." Shak.

Note: Shall and will are often confounded by inaccurate speakers and writers. Say: I shall be glad to see you. Shall I do this Shall I help you (not Will I do this) See Will.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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