shall/should have finished

Question

HiPlease tell me if both are fine here.A: Have you completed your work?B: No.A: I am going out. When I return you shall/should have finished it.

KJinCali79 · Accepted Answer

My preference would be to use "should" but both can work depending on the emphasis you desire.

Should indicates advisement, probability, expectation, and consequence.
Shall indicates intention, determination, and certainty of outcome.

When I return you shall have finished it. -- To me this sounds like a formal order, and a harsh emphasis that it better be finished. (Note, however, this perception on my part may be because in AmE the use of "shall" is much more limited than in BrE, so perhaps other posts will offer a differing view.)

When I return you should have finished it. -- To me this sounds like an advisement to do something and an expectation that it will be done.

Vsuresh · Answer

Thank you very much.

Fivejedjon · Answer

vsureshA: I am going out. When I return you shall/should have finished it.

The version with 'shall' is very unnatural in BrE.

Vsuresh · Answer

Thank you, fivejedon.

CalifJim · Answer

vsureshWhen I return you shall/should have finished it.

In the given context, it sounds like you are trying to make this a command.

When I return, have it finished! / It had better be finished when I return!

Much weaker:

When I return, you should have it finished.
This blends into the "expectation" reading of should: When I return, I [expect / suppose] that you will have it finished. This makes it extremely weak as a command.
___________

shall is extremely rare in AmE, especially with a second or third person subject (you, he, she, it, they).
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You should have finished it, on its own, says something about the past. It says You did not finish it (though it would have been a good idea to do so). But When I return indicates the future, so I don't recommend this form. I think what you really want to say is You should have it (in a) finished (state) (by the time I return), which is why I phrased it that way above.

CJ

Vsuresh · Answer

Thank you very much,CJ.

CalifJimIn the given context, it sounds like you are trying to make this a command.When I return, have it finished! / It had better be finished when I return!

Yes, CJ. But I have question.

I am a little confused with "have something done" which I think means you seek the service of another person to do the work.

"Have this vehicle repaired by this evening."

When I see "...have it finished" here, I am wondering about the suitability of the expression when I want the person himself to do the work.

Can I say, "When I return, you will have finished your work"?

Please give your comments.

KJinCali79 · Answer

vsureshCan I say, "When I return, you will have finished your work"?

The use of "will" sounds like both a harsh order and an expectation to me. If that is the intent, some more common expressions might be:
"When I return (or by the time I return), you better have finished your work." (slightly informal)
"When I return (or by the time I return), you had better be finished with your work." (formal) -- In this construction you could also use "ought to be" to shift the emphasis slightly from an order to an expectation.

If you want to be more polite, "By the time I return, please be finished with your work."

Vsuresh · Answer

Thank you, KJinCali.

KJinCali79"When I return (or by the time I return), you had better be finished with your work." (formal) -- In this construction you

I think this sounds OK. Anyway let me ask this:Does this "you had better be finished with your work" clearly state that the work is going to be done only the person to whom this is addressed?

KJinCali79 · Answer

vsureshDoes this "you had better be finished with your work" clearly state that the work is going to be done only the person to whom this is addressed?

I would say yes, because of the use of "you" and "your", but you could also say "without the assistance of others" if you really need to make this clear.

CalifJim · Answer

vsureshI am a little confused with "have something done" which I think means you seek the service of another person to do the work."Have this vehicle repaired by this evening."When I see "...have it finished" here, I am wondering about the suitability of the expression when I want the person himself to do the work.

When I return, you should have it finished.

I can see why you might be a little confused because this usage of 'have' looks like a typical case of seeking the service of another person. Nevertheless, the context shows that this is not a case of seeking the service of another person. If it were such a case, the sentence (shown above) would mean As soon as I return, but not before, it would be a good idea for you to arrange for someone else to finish it. That seems to be nonsense. When I want someone to finish his work, why would I tell him to wait until I return, and then arrange to have someone else finish it? I can only mean something else. So the listener automatically interprets the structure to mean that the work should be finished while I am gone, and by the very person I'm speaking to.

CJ

shall/should have finished

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