Modals - should

In this lesson, you will learn how to use should for advice and expectations.

1. What does should mean?

For advice or suggestions, use should when you think something is a good idea or the best choice, not a strict rule.

You should rest means “I think this is a good idea.” You have to rest means it is necessary because of a rule or situation.

2. Structure of should

Positive and negative sentences

Subject + should + base verb

• You should drink more water.
• She should see a doctor.

Subject + should not + base verb

• You shouldn’t smoke.
• He shouldn’t stay up late.

Questions

Should + subject + base verb?

• Should I call her?
• Should we leave now?
• Should we book the tickets now?
• What should I do?
• Where should we meet?

Short answers and negative questions

Answer a should question with should too.

• Should I call her? — Yes, you should. / No, you shouldn’t.
• Should we leave now? — Yes, we should. / No, we shouldn’t.

Use a negative question when you already think the answer is probably yes:

• Shouldn’t we leave now? (I think it is time to leave.)

3. Common uses of should

Advice and best choice

The situation helps you choose the advice:

• Your friend is very tired → You should rest.
• You have a problem at school → You should talk to your teacher.
• The roads will be busy → We should leave early.
• There is no parking near the station → She should take the bus.
• I have not called my grandmother this week → I should call my grandmother.

We also use should when thinking aloud about our own plans: I should probably go now.

Softening advice in conversation

Advice with “You should…” can sound quite direct. I think you should… makes it sound more personal and less like a command.

• “I think you should talk to your teacher.”
• “I think you should get some rest.”

For negative advice, I don’t think you should… is also natural:

• “I don’t think you should drive tonight.”

To ask someone for advice, Do you think I should ...? is very natural:

• Do you think I should apply for that job?

4. Should for expectations

Use should when you expect something to happen or believe it is likely. In this use, should is close to “probably.”

• “The bus should arrive soon.”
• “The package should arrive tomorrow.”
• “She should be home by now.”
• “She shouldn’t be too late.” (= We expect that she will not be very late.)
• “The journey shouldn’t take long.” (= We expect a short journey.)

These sentences are expectations, not advice. “She should be home by now” means that, based on the time or her plans, we expect her to be home already.

5. Should vs have to

Learners sometimes confuse should and have to, but they are not the same.

• Should → advice (your opinion)
• Have to → obligation (rule or necessity)

Examples:

• “You should eat more vegetables.” (Advice)
• “You have to wear a helmet.” (Rule)

Negative forms have different meanings:

• shouldn’t = advice not to do something: You shouldn’t eat so much sugar.
• don’t have to = it is not necessary: You don’t have to come early.

You may also see mustn’t. Must means a strong rule or necessity, so mustn’t means “it is not allowed”: You mustn’t park here.

6. Common mistakes

7. Summary

Form	Main meaning	Example
should + base verb	advice or a good idea	“You should rest.”
shouldn’t + base verb	advice not to do something	“You shouldn’t drive tonight.”
should + subject + base verb?	yes/no question asking for advice	“Should I call?”
question word + should + subject + base verb?	question asking for advice	“What should I do?”
should / shouldn’t	expectation: probably will / will not	“The bus should arrive soon.”
have to + base verb	a rule or necessity	“You have to wear a helmet.”

Remember that should can also express expectation: it then means “probably will”, and shouldn’t means “probably will not.”