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MUSCOVITE Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
with and without SHOULD
Hi,
If you could help?
(1a) It's strange that he should be late. He's usually on time.
(2a) I was surprised that he should say such a thing.
Can I omit SHOULD and rewrite (1a) and (2a) as below?
(1b) It's strange that he is (or was) late. He's usually on time.
(2b) I was surprised that he said such a thing.
Could you please compare (1a) against (1b)? ( and (2a) against (2b))?
There must be some subtle differences in meaning I guess?
mus-te
If you could help?
(1a) It's strange that he should be late. He's usually on time.
(2a) I was surprised that he should say such a thing.
Can I omit SHOULD and rewrite (1a) and (2a) as below?
(1b) It's strange that he is (or was) late. He's usually on time.
(2b) I was surprised that he said such a thing.
Could you please compare (1a) against (1b)? ( and (2a) against (2b))?
There must be some subtle differences in meaning I guess?
mus-te
Top answer
All your versions are correct. I don't remember the exact words I have read in a few grammar books but they usually say that adding "should" makes the sentence express the speaker's deeper involvement on a more personal level. CB
- All your versions are correct.
- I don't remember the exact words I have read in a few grammar books but they usually say that adding "should" makes the sentence express the speaker's deeper involvement on a more personal level.
- CB
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3 Answers
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All your versions are correct. I don't remember the exact words I have read in a few grammar books but they usually say that adding "should" makes the sentence express the speaker's deeper involvement on a more personal level.
CB
CB
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The versions with modal should are freely replaceable by unmodalised ones, so all your examples are fine.
In your examples 1a / 2a, should is used as an 'emotive' modal indicating surprise (or oddness), but it has a very low degree of modality (i.e. it has little discernible modal meaning of its own) which explains why it can be replaced so easily by unmodalised clauses as i
In your examples 1a / 2a, should is used as an 'emotive' modal indicating surprise (or oddness), but it has a very low degree of modality (i.e. it has little discernible modal meaning of its own) which explains why it can be replaced so easily by unmodalised clauses as i
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BillJIn your examples 1a / 2a, should is used as an 'emotive' modal indicating surprise (or oddness),Understood. Thank you!
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