"I would like to" and "I should like to"

See some of the threads here:



and you'll find threads such as:

Would like to / Should like to
Would like to / Should like to

The use of 'I should like' instead of 'I would like' is formal and/or traditional. The phrase would/should like to/object is used to say that you want or desire something and it sounds polite: I'd like the soup for my starter. I'd like to say a big thankyou to everyone who's helped to make our wedding such a special occasion! I should like to begin by expressing my appr

The correct form is "would like". The term "should like" applies in the following circumstances: A small child does not like his vegetables, his mother says "You should like vegetables!" (because they are good for you, and your mother thinks that you aught to like them). It has a conotation of 'obligation', or an external constraint imposed on the person speaking. Saying "I should like..." feels l

You're only including the use of "should" in a sense of obligation. Either you've forgotten, or YOU're not a native english speaker, but "I should like to" is commonly used by the british for making polite requests

Wrong. 'Should' works exactly as 'would' does provided that the context is formal. For example, an academic thesis might begin with "I should like to thank my fellow academics...", which would be a formal/traditional way of stating "I would".

Anonymous 'Should' works exactly as 'would' does provided that the context is formal.l

That's not quite enough. It only works as would does if the subject is I or we. You cannot say he should like to thank his fellow academics...

CB

Thank you for setting that straight!

After reading this well-focused discussion, I should like to thank all participants who spared time and made efforts to help us understand the difference.