English · A2 · verb · 4 minutes
Should: advice and expectation
Use should + base verb for recommendations and probable outcomes.
Understand the choice
Should gives advice, expresses expectation, or marks a desirable outcome. It is weaker than must and more personal than an impersonal requirement.
Core rule: Should is unchanged across subjects and is followed by a bare infinitive.
Notice it in context
You should save the document before closing the page.
Deberías guardar el documento antes de cerrar la página.
Should supports base save; before closing uses an -ing clause after preposition.
The train should arrive around noon.
Noon is the expected, not guaranteed, arrival time.
Should expresses expectation.
Should we ask for a second opinion?
Would asking another expert be a good idea?
Should inverts before we for a suggestion question.
What to remember
- Should not contracts to shouldn’t.
- Ought to is a near synonym but takes to.
Common trap: Do not write should to save.