Hello everyone!
Yes, I'm in South Korea! I was asked to fill a position at a well-respected polytechnic school called Avalon to work with students at their campus in Migeum, one of about three that I know of. I left Calgary, Canada early Monday morning, August 21st, 2006 and I will be living here for one year. This is my first time overseas in Asia and I must say I am experiencing a severe case of culture shock. I don't think I could have ever prepared myself for taking on this new chapter in life, but it's all part of the experience. Upon getting off the plane, I just about fell over with the enormous amount of humidity. As the doors of customs opened for my arrival I was promptly greeted by a Korean man (my personal chauffeur) holding a sign with my name on it. He assisted me with my luggage and we were off to my apartment in Sunae. I would have liked to have seen the view on our hour long drive to Sunae but I was delerious from lack of sleep and jet lag that I nodded off, only to be awakened by the slamming off the breaks and I think a few Korean expletives. I must admit I was getting a little concerned when even my Korean driver couldn't find my apartment. I suddenly imagined all of the horror stories that I had heard of were beginning to become true for me. At last, we found the apartment and it's quite nice and respectable, for a one room studio apartment. I am living in a town called Bundang, which lies 6 miles south of Seoul. My little "village" is called Sunae.
"I agree that should I wish to obtain the results of the exam..."
To understand the meaning and use of the word "should" in this sentence please see below.
The meaning of should in the sentence: I agree that SHOULD I wish to obtain the results of the exam is as follows:
This should is in a CONDITIONAL CLAUSE and can be thought of as the same meaning as "If I were". The above sentence could also be written as
"I agree that IF I WERE to obtain the results of my exam...
The reason the word "should" is used instead of "if I were" is because it's a formal and/or legal document which requires very formal writing. Should is more formal and sounds more authoritative than the weaker "if I were" statement.
SHOULD IN CONDITIONAL CLAUSES
Choosing which verb to use in conditional clauses, such as those beginning with if, can be tricky. In certain clauses, you use should for all three persons: -if I (or you or he) should decide to go-if it should begin to snow.
Note that in both sentences above you can delete the "If I" or "It it" statement and simply begin the sentence with "should", but then you have subject movement in which the subject "I" or "it" needs to be placed after the modal verb "should". This subject movement is a syntax thing that you should not concern yourself with why, just know that it exists when you delete the "if"
Conditional Clause
If I should decide to go
Subject-verb movement after deleting "if"
Should I decide to go
WHEN ONLY SHOULD IS CORRECT
To express duty or obligation, you use should as the equivalent of ought to: I (or you or he) should go.
WHEN ONLY WOULD IS CORRECT
You use would (and not should) to express willingness or promise (I agreed that I would do it) and to express habitual action in the past (We would walk along the canal at night). Would also has the advantage of being a polite substitute for will in requests: Would you lend me a dollar?
Detailed? Yeah, I know, I tend to get carried away.
