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Anonymous Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
(asking one more time) the modal "should" in conditional context
I believe I have asked a question along this line of question before but believe I haven't received a reply. These example sentences may be different to the ones in the other post.
If you have some extra food, you should give it to this poor person.
I think the above looks to be correct since it is sort of a corrective recommendation and also the modal verb "should" is not the past of the modal verb "shall." Also, I think this is first conditional.
But for other conditionals, that is, second and third conditional sentences, the use of the modal "should" should represent the past of the modal "shall."
If he had some extra food, he should give it to this poor person.
To me, it looks to represent present hypothetical and also, I think, the modal "should" is the past of the modal "shall." This also looks to be correct second conditional.
If you have some extra food, you should give it to this poor person.
I think the above looks to be correct since it is sort of a corrective recommendation and also the modal verb "should" is not the past of the modal verb "shall." Also, I think this is first conditional.
But for other conditionals, that is, second and third conditional sentences, the use of the modal "should" should represent the past of the modal "shall."
If he had some extra food, he should give it to this poor person.
To me, it looks to represent present hypothetical and also, I think, the modal "should" is the past of the modal "shall." This also looks to be correct second conditional.
Top answer
As no one is answering you Well in the second example he had the food, past, so has not got it anymore to give to the poor person.
- As no one is answering you Well in the second example he had the food, past, so has not got it anymore to give to the poor person.
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4 Answers
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As no one is answering you
Well in the second example he had the food, past, so has not got it anymore to give to the poor person.
Well in the second example he had the food, past, so has not got it anymore to give to the poor person.
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The modal should is rarely used to illustrate first, second, and third conditionals because it is so idiosyncratic. In the case at hand, you only hear the following two patterns with any regularity. The analog to the second conditional is missing because should is like an imperative: You should do this >>> Do this! And you can't issue a command in the past.
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Hi. How are they different?
You wrote:
If you had extra food, you should have given it to the poor. (Somewhat like a third conditional.)
And this:
If you had had extra food, you should have given it to the poor.
You wrote:
If you had extra food, you should have given it to the poor. (Somewhat like a third conditional.)
And this:
If you had had extra food, you should have given it to the poor.
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AnonymousIf you had had extra food, you should have given it to the poor.Maybe it's just me, but I don't often use the past perfect with some of the common stative verbs like be and have. It sounds too "fussy" to my ear, I suppose.
If you were there, you would have seen ...
If I had the [chance / time], I would ha
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