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Anonymous Posted 12 years ago
Vocabulary

should vs. expected to be

TV weather forecasters are notorious for saying "It should be clear and cold tonight," as if they were directing the weather to be clear and cold. I say the predictive "is expected to be" is correct and that "should" in all usages is a directive. Am I waging a losing battle that I should give up?
HRW3
  

Top answer

Anonymous Am I waging a losing battle that I should give up? Yes. One definition of should : Indicating a desirable or expected state: by now students should be able to read with a large degree of independence

— Mister Micawber

  • Anonymous Am I waging a losing battle that I should give up?
  • Yes.
  • One definition of should : Indicating a desirable or expected state: by now students should be able to read with a large degree of independence
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2 Answers
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Anonymous Am I waging a losing battle that I should give up?
Yes. One definition of should:

Indicating a desirable or expected state:
by now students should be able to read with a large degree of independence
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"Should" is short for "If our predictions are correct the weather should be ...." It is a "get out" clause - "will be" is too precise for something as unpredictable as the weather, "is expected to be", while more correct, adds two extra words to a phrase that is well understood by most people and needs to be fleshed out a little. "According to the BBC, the weather is expected to be ...." otherwi
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