1 post tagged “english grammar”
A peculiar use of "should"
"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.
"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.
