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Lucas21c Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

Should

Can I say, "He should be a big fan of New York Yankees" in the same way as we say, "He must be a big fan of New York Yankees" or "He may be a big fan of New York Yankees"?
  

Top answer

He should be a fan of the Yankees because that's required of New York City residents. (obligation) He must be a fan of the Yankees because all the evidence points to his love for the team. (certainty) He may be a fan of the Yankees, or maybe he isn't.

— Deadrat

  • He should be a fan of the Yankees because that's required of New York City residents.
  • (obligation) He must be a fan of the Yankees because all the evidence points to his love for the team.
  • (certainty) He may be a fan of the Yankees, or maybe he isn't.
  • " That is, you have no choice.
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5 Answers
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He should be a fan of the Yankees because that's required of New York City residents. (obligation)
He must be a fan of the Yankees because all the evidence points to his love for the team. (certainty)
He may be a fan of the Yankees, or maybe he isn't. (probability)

Note that "must" can also carry the connotation of coercion: "You must exit the highway." That is, you have no cho
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I thought 'should' could also mean probability like these sentence, "The road work should be done by now" or "The mountain should be visible from here." Am I wrong?
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No, you're right. I'd call it "expectation," rather than probability.
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Then is "He should be a big fan of New York Yankees (expectation)" possible? Or, is it still understood in only one way that you said?
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No, the context will dictate the meaning.

"I don't know him, but he lives in New York City, so he should be a Yankees fan." (expectation)

"He's running for Mayor of New York City, and he's not a Yankees fan? I'm not voting for him. He should be a Yankees fan. (obligation)
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