230
A
-il/shall in cotfl**’ see 282. For ^ ^ould in requests, see 284. For w*| ’ uid in invitations, see 286. For w»’” rf/snould used with like, prefer, wish etc.., see ForW«”’a
chaptef
29.
. $ expressed by will, would
tne present are normally expressed by the simnple present Habits |” ^ ^j,, + infinitive can be used instead when wae wish to tense: b.u ^ characteristics of the performer rather thrtan the action emph5””2^ |t js cniefly used in general statements: perfof1”^figiishman «”” «*«”»”> stow .you //«« ««>• in the • street. <U is
^”rmal f°r an En^8”11 to act in this w3*0 *** z very important use of will, but th« past fon.rm, would, I*8 This >* n°.. r use and «n replace used to when we ares describing*
a much
wider
past *°*Surtdays he uf’d to/would get up early and go fisHching. He u^ /would spend the whole day by the river and in the « evening t*W /would come hot*’ «”’’* marvellous stories ofthefislish he had
to/vot”1
ng t*W had
B
”^u/ever, that *nen U8e<1 to expresses a discontiiiiinued habit,il NotC’,te replaced by *ould. (See 162.)
cann° -ii and would can be contracted when used as arJabove. Both *
2|So express obstinate insistence, usually habituicual:
w»U c,a” \riii keep your watch half an hour slow it is hattardly wrfnti1*
!l*t#>v are late jo’*”” appointments.
Mis used in the past: wouj” tf^d to stap kirn smoking in bed but he *would \ddoit.
C wot”’
””Avould are not contracted here and are strongly^y stres&ed W* express a characteristic action, usually one wivwhich aiwiof*
the *ff$jtcts/objedii- – He >would!/He <uould object! (y (He alway> objects.)
22 will/would, •hall/should
231 should/would think + that-clause or so/not (See 347 for so/not used to replace clauses.)
A Will it be expensive? ~ I should/would flunk so./I should think it
would. (- probably ’Yes’) or
/ shouldn ’t think it would./I shouldn ”t/wntldn’/ think so /
I should/would thinh not. (= probably ’No’)
By this sort of answer the speaker implies that he doesn’t really know but that this is his impression. / should/would think is therefore less confident than / think.
so/not is not usually possible when should/would think introduces a comment. A that-clause therefore has to be used:
He’s an astrologer, looking for work. ~ I shouldn’t/wouldn’t think that he dfind it easy to get work.
B If we are commenting on a past action we use should/would have thought:
He actually got a job as an astrologer. – J shouldn’t/wouldn’t hai-e thought that it was possible .to do that.
C snould/woisjd have expected + an infinitive construction or a (hatclause is also possible. The impersonal pronoun you can sometimes replace I:
She has emigrated. ~ Has she? You ’d/I ”d have expected her to stay in this country.
232 would for past intention
As has already been noted would is the past equivalent of will when will is used for the ordinary future: , He knows he will be late. He knew he wntld be late.
S£e 20lT ^ ’^ P3St equivalent of wi” uscd to exPress M’n< ’said. ’1 will help him’ = / said that I would help him. He said. ’I won’t lend you a penny’ He said that he wouldn ’t lend me a penny.
tosiISS t^t ThCreaS W°uld used for ^ure or intention is restricted
ne«Z f aUS” 3S in the above e»”nples. wouldn’t used for negative intention can stand alone-
He won’t help me today. (He refuses to help > would Wouldn’thelt>y<**rday. (He refused to help.) heltI*!0!”!?01 ?* ”Sed in thls wav S0 to Put a sentence such as / wiU f *im today into the past, we have to replace i^ill by another verb: / uanted/intended/offered to help him yesterday.
206
207
22 will/would, shall/should
233 shall I/we? in requests for orders or advice, offers, suggestions
Requests for orders:
How shall I cook it? Where shall we put this? When the request is for advice only we use either shall or should:
Which one shall I buy? or Which one should I buy?
Offers:
Shall I wait for you? Shall I help you to pack’
Suggestions:
Shall we meet at the theatre? Let’s meet at the theatre, shall we?
(See 318 for shall I/we? in indirect speech.)
234 shall in the second and third persons
shall can express (A) the subject’s intention to perform a certain action or to cause it to be performed, and (B) a command. Both these uses are old-fashioned and formal and normally avoided in modem spoken English. A Examples of shall used to express the speaker’s intention:
You shall have a sweet = I’ll give you a sweet or
/’// set that you get a sweet.
He shan 7 come here = 1 won’t let him coma here.
They shall not pass = We won’t let them pass. In the past, i.e. in indirect speech, it is usually necessary to change the
wording:
He said, ’You shall have a sweet’ = He promised me a sweet.
B Examples of shall used to express a command:
Yachts shall go round the course, passing UK marks in the correct
order, (yacht-racing rules)
Members shall enter the names of their guests in the book provided.
(club rules)
This construction is chiefly used in regulations or legal documents. In less formal English must or are to would be used instead of shall in the above sentences. (See also 282.)
C shall you? is an old-fashioned form which is occasionally still found in some novels possibly because it is shorter and neater than the future continuous tense:
Shall you go? = Will you be going?
235 that. . . should after certain verbs
Certain verbs can be followed by that + subject + should as an alternative to a gerund or infinitive construction. that. . . should is particularly useful in the passive and sometimes is the only possible passive form.
208
<•!
fest
22 will/would, shall/should
that. . . should is more formal than a gerund or infinitive construction and usually implies less direct contact between the advisers/organizers etc. and the people who are to carry out the action. Verbs which can be used with that . . . should include the following: advise, agree, arrange, ask, beg, command, decide, demand, determine, insist, order, propose, recommend, request, stipulate, suggest, urge. Note also: be anxious, be determined.
She advised that we should keep the gate locked.
She advised that the gate should be kept locked.
She advised keeping the gate locked/advised us to keep it locked.
(See 267.)
recommend could be used above instead of advise and would sound more formal.
They agreed/decided that the roof should be repaired. They agreed/decided to repair the roof.
Ht arranged that I should go abroad. He arranged for me to go abroad.
They arranged that the minister should be met at the airport. They arranged for the minister to be met at the airport, be anxious (= wish; see 27 C) takes the same construction as arrange: He is anxious that classes should start/should be started at once. He is anxious for classes to start/to be started at once. They asked/begged/urged that relief work should be given priority. They asked/begged/urged the authorities to give relief work priority. (See 243.)
He commanded that the army should advance, (fie was not
necessarily with the army.)
He commanded the army to advance. (Fie probably was with the
army.)
She determined/was determined that he should study music. Sht» determined/was determined to let him/make him study music. She insisted that he should study music/insisted on his studying music. (See 262.)
He ordered that Ann should go. (He probably told someone else to
tell her.)
He ordered Ann to go. (He probably told her himself.) (See 320.)
He ordered that the goods should be sent by air.
He ordered the goods to be sent by air.
He proposed/suggested that we should try homeopathic remedies. (See 289.)
He proposed/suggested that homeopathic remedies should be tried. He proposed/suggested (our) trying homeopathic remedies. They stipulated that the best materials should be used. They stipulated for the best materials to be used. should iis sometimes omitted before be. (See 291 C.)
209
22 will/would, shall/should WHIP^M^^^^
236 it is/was + adjective + that. . . should
A that . . . should can be used after it is/was advisable, better, desirable, essential, imperative, important, natural, necessary; after/<«>(*= just), just, right (these are often preceded by only) and after reasonable, as an alternative to a for + infinitive construction:
//15 advisable that everyone should have a map.
It ts better/or him to hear it from you.
It ts better that he should hear it from you.
It is essential for htm to be prepared for this.
It is essential that he should be prepared for this.
It is only nght that she should have a share. should is sometimes omitted before be:
// is essential that he be prepared.
B that . . . should can be used after it is/was absurd, amazing, annoying, ludicrous, odd, ridiculous, strange, surprising and similar adjectives as an alternative to that + present/past tense:
// is ridiculous that we should be (= that we are) short of water in a
country u-here it is always raining. The perfect infinitive is sometimes used when-referring lo past events:
It u amazing that she should have said (* that she said) nothing
about the murder.
237 Other uses of should
A After can’t think why/a^n ’t knuw why/see no reason why etc. when th speaker queries the reasonableness or justice of an assumption:
1 don’t know why you should think that 1 did it. I see no reason why you should interfere in their quarrel. I
The perfect infinitive is usual when the assumption was in the past: / can’t think why he should have said that it was my fault.
B Idiomatically with what, where, who in dramatic expressions of surprise:
What should I find but an enormous spider.’ Quite often the surprise is embarrassing: Who should come in but his first wife! C After lest and sometimes after in case:
1 In literary English lest . . . should is sometimes placed after expressions of fear or anxiety:
He was terrified lest he should slip on the icy rocks. should + perfect infinitive is used when the anxiety concerns a previous action:
She began to be worried lest he should have met with some accident.
D
22 will/would, shall/should
2 lest can also be used in purpose clauses to mean ’for fear that’: He dared not spend the money lest someone should ask where he had got it.
As above, this is a literary form.
in case, which is more usual than lest here, can be followed by
should or by an ordinary present or past tense:
in case someone should ask/someone asked (See also 227. 337.)
I should is sometimes used in purpose clauses as an alternative to would/could:
He wore a mask so thai no one should recognize him. (See 336.)
In conditional sentences instead of the present tense: If the pain should return take another of these pills. (See 224.)
in indirect, rather formal, commands when the recipient of the command is not necessarily addressed directly:
He ordered that Tom should leave the house. (See 321 B.)
Compare with He ordered Tom to leave which implies that he told Tom himself.
210
211