Should

Pronunciation: /ʃʊd/

Definitions of should

verb used to indicate obligation, duty, or correctness

Example Sentences

A1 You should eat your vegetables.

A2 I should study for my exam tomorrow.

B1 She should have called me before coming over.

B2 We should have booked our tickets earlier.

C1 The company should invest in new technology.

C2 The government should prioritize healthcare reform.

Examples of should in a Sentence

formal One should always strive for excellence in their work.

informal You should totally check out that new restaurant downtown.

slang I heard you should totally binge-watch that show on Netflix.

figurative We should plant the seeds of kindness wherever we go.

Grammatical Forms of should

• past tense: shoulded
• plural: shoulds
• comparative: more should
• superlative: most should
• present tense: should
• future tense: will should
• perfect tense: should have
• continuous tense: should be
• singular: should
• positive degree: should
• infinitive: should
• gerund: shoulding
• participle: shoulded

Origin and Evolution of should

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old English

Story behind the word: The word 'should' originated from the Old English word 'sceolde' which was the past tense of 'sceal' meaning 'owe, be obliged'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'should' evolved to indicate obligation, expectation, or advisability in modern English.