Lesson 33 different meanings of “should”
Choose the correct answers:
What do the underlined verbs mean, advice or speculation?
- Your sister’s birthday is coming. You should buy her a present. (advice or speculation?)
- How about an Amazon gift card? It should be the best and most “flexible” present because of all the products Amazon sells. (advice or speculation?)
- She should be very appreciative when you give the gift card to her. (advice or speculation?)
Explain:
The modal “should” can mean:
- advice
- speculation/possibility/guessing
Both meanings refer to present or future. The best approach is to examine and understand the contexts.
- In Sentence #1, giving advice about buying a gift.
- In Sentence #2, speculating that an Amazon gift card is the best.
- In Sentence #3, speculating that the sister will appreciate the gift card.
Review:
What do the underlined verbs mean, advice or speculation?
When we have a tight budget, we should always spend money on the most important necessities like food and housing. Even so, an occasional indulgence such as going to a Chicago Symphony Orchestra concert should make everyone happy. When our finances improve, we should gradually spend more on nonessential things such as entertainment and vacations.
Answers:
advice; speculation; speculation
advice; speculation; advice
