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HungryHippo1234 Posted 6 years ago
Grammar

Should - Proable/Certainty

Context: An expert (Person A) comes to fix a washing machine. He fixes it.

B: Will it work now?

A: Yes, It should work now.

Context: There is a boxing match with person A vs Person B. Commentater (person C) is announcing.

C: Person A should win as Person B has less experience.

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Someone just finished making a robot, though it doesn't work, but can't find what's wrong.

A: This robot should be working, I can't find what's wrong with it.


Does this "expectedness' imply certainty or highly likely? Does it depend on context? I'm confused as dictionaries say that should means "expected" in this case, and some dictionaries say that "expected" indicates certainty, and the other dictionaries say that "expected" indicates "regarded as likely".


Dictionaries:

Definition of EXPECTED:

Marriam Webster - to consider probable or certain

Cambridge - to https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/think or https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/believe something will https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/happen, or someone will https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/arrive

Dictionary.com - to look forward to; regard as likely to happen; anticipate the occurrence or the coming of

DEFINITION of SHOULD

Cambridge - used to show when something is https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/likely or https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/expected

Macmillan - https://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/used when you have https://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/strong https://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/reason_1 for https://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/believe or https://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/expect something

Collins - You use should when you are saying that something is probably the case or will probably happen in the way you are describing. If you say that something should have happened by a particular time, you mean that it will probably have happened by that time.

They are kind of conflicting.

Sentences:

1. I didn't expect you so soon.

2. She didn't expect it to bother her as much as it did.

3. I always expect trouble.

4. You can't expect me to forgive you.

5. You can't expect me to believe that.


I know I made a previous post about this, but I came across a worksheet my teacher give me and I got stuck on the expected and should section of the worksheet.



  

Top answer

Context: An expert (Person A) comes to fix a washing machine. He fixes it. B: Will it work now?

  • Context: An expert (Person A) comes to fix a washing machine.
  • He fixes it.
  • B: Will it work now?
  • A: Yes, It should work now.
  • This refers to reasonably confident expectation.
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1 Answers
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Context: An expert (Person A) comes to fix a washing machine. He fixes it.
B: Will it work now?
A: Yes, It should work now.

This refers to reasonably confident expectation.

Context: There is a boxing match with person A vs Person B.
Commentater (person C) is announcing.
C: Person A should win as Person B has le

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