should

[[t]ʃʊd[/t]]

auxiliary v.

1) fun

pt. of shall

2) fun (used to indicate duty, propriety, or expediency):

You should not do that[/ex]

3) fun (used to express condition):

Were he to arrive, I should be pleased[/ex]

4) fun (used to make a statement less direct or blunt):

I should think you would apologize[/ex]

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Etymology: ME sholde, OE sc(e) olde; see shall usage: Rules similar to those for choosing between shall and will have long been advanced for should and would, but most educated native speakers of American English do not follow the textbooks. In most constructions, would is the auxiliary chosen regardless of the subject: If our allies supported the move, we would abandon any claim to sovereignty. Because the main function of should in modern American English is to express duty, necessity, etc., its use for other purposes, as to form a subjunctive, can produce ambiguity, at least initially: I should get my flu shot if I were you. Furthermore, should seems an affectation to many Americans in certain constructions quite common to British English: I should (American would) really prefer a different arrangement. See also shall