eng6-3.1· Əlavə: proqramdan kənar qrammatika· ~13 min

should / shouldn't

Giving advice.

We use should + base verb to give advice or make a recommendation — to say that something is a good idea. Its negative form is shouldn't (should not) + base verb, used to say that something is a bad idea. A key point is that should never changes its form: we say I should, you should, he should, she should, we should, they should — there is no -s in the third person. To make a question we put Should first: 'Should I wear a coat?' To answer, we say 'Yes, you should' or 'No, you shouldn't'. Should is a modal verb, so the verb that follows is always in the base (infinitive) form — never with to and never with an -s, -ed or -ing ending. We also never use do/does with should in questions. Compare: should for advice vs. must for strong obligation (must is not a choice, should is). For example: 'Leyla has a headache. She should drink some water and she shouldn't watch TV for a long time.'

Key terms

modal verb — A helping verb (like should, must, can) that comes before the base verb and never changes its form.
should — A modal verb used to give advice or a recommendation — to say something is a good idea.
shouldn't — The negative of should (= should not); used to say something is a bad idea or not recommended.
base verb — The simple dictionary form of a verb with no endings: eat, go, drink, study (not eats / ate / eating).
advice — A suggestion that tells someone what you think is a good or bad idea to do.
obligation — Something you must do — it is a rule or strong requirement, not just a suggestion.
Should / Shouldn't — All Forms
SubjectPositiveNegativeQuestion
II should rest.I shouldn't stay up late.Should I rest?
youYou should drink water.You shouldn't eat junk food.Should you see a doctor?
he / she / itHe should go to bed early.She shouldn't watch TV.Should she call a dentist?
weWe should study more.We shouldn't be late.Should we take an umbrella?
theyThey should exercise.They shouldn't skip breakfast.Should they bring warm clothes?

Should has the SAME form for every subject — never add -s, -ed, or -ing to it.

Correct Verb Form After Should / Shouldn't
FormCorrect?ExampleWhy
should + base verbYESYou should drink more water.Base verb directly follows the modal.
should + to + base verbNOYou should to drink water.'To' is never used after a modal verb.
should + -ing verbNOYou should drinking water.'-ing' form is not used after should.
should + past tenseNOYou should drank water.Past tense is not used after should.
shoulds / should -sNOShe shoulds drink water.Should never takes -s in any person.
do / don't + shouldNOYou don't should drink water.Never use do/does with modal verbs.

Rule: should / shouldn't + BASE VERB only. No 'to', no '-ing', no '-s', no past form.

Should vs Must — Key Difference
ModalMeaningStrengthExample
shouldadvice / recommendation — a good ideasoft suggestionYou should wear a coat. (It is a good idea.)
shouldn'tnegative advice — a bad ideasoft suggestionYou shouldn't eat so much sugar. (It is not a good idea.)
muststrong obligation / rulestrong — no choiceYou must wear a seatbelt. (It is the law.)
mustn'tstrong prohibition — forbiddenstrong — not allowedYou mustn't run in the corridor. (It is not allowed.)

Should = advice (you have a choice). Must = obligation or rule (no choice).

✎Building a Advice Sentence with Should
  1. 1Situation: Nigar has a headache.
  2. 2Step 1: Choose the subject: She
  3. 3Step 2: Add should or shouldn't: She should / She shouldn't
  4. 4Step 3: Add the BASE verb (no endings!): She should drink / She shouldn't watch
  5. 5Step 4: Complete the sentence: She should drink some water. She shouldn't watch TV for a long time.
  6. 6Check: No 'to', no '-s', no '-ed', no '-ing' after should/shouldn't. Base verb only.
✎Making a Question with Should
  1. 1Statement: I should bring a jacket.
  2. 2Step 1: Move Should to the front: Should I …
  3. 3Step 2: Keep the base verb — no changes: Should I bring a jacket?
  4. 4Short answer — YES: Yes, you should.
  5. 5Short answer — NO: No, you shouldn't.
  6. 6Note: Never use 'do' in the question: NOT 'Do I should bring a jacket?' — this is wrong.
🚫Common mistake

Do NOT write 'should to'. Many students write 'You should to drink water' or 'She should to rest'. Should is a modal verb — it is NEVER followed by 'to'. Write 'should + base verb' directly: 'You should drink water.'

🚫Common mistake

Do NOT add '-s' to should. Should has the same form for every subject. Never write 'she shoulds', 'he shoulds'. Always write 'she should', 'he should'.

🚫Common mistake

Do NOT use '-ing' or a past form after should. 'You should drinking water' and 'You should drank water' are both wrong. The verb after should is always the base (dictionary) form: 'You should drink water.'

⚠️Caution

Never use 'do' or 'don't' with should. Questions are formed by putting 'should' first: 'Should I …?' NOT 'Do I should …?'. Negatives use 'shouldn't' only: 'You shouldn't …' NOT 'You don't should …'.

💡Note

Should is for advice (a good idea / bad idea — you have a choice). Must is for strong rules or obligations (no choice). For example: 'You should eat vegetables.' (advice) vs. 'You must wear a helmet.' (rule).

Rules

  1. 1Use should + base verb to give positive advice (it is a good idea): You should go to bed early.
  2. 2Use shouldn't + base verb to give negative advice (it is a bad idea): He shouldn't eat so much sugar.
  3. 3Should has the same form for all subjects — never add -s: She should (NOT she shoulds).
  4. 4To make a question, put Should before the subject: Should I call a doctor?
  5. 5Do NOT use do/does with should, and do NOT use to after should: You should rest (NOT You should to rest).

Practice

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10 random questions per test

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