Difference between should and shall

[sofia]

Test No. incompl/elem-17 "White Water Rafting", question 5

Are you really suggesting that we ......... actually get into one of those ridiculous things?

(a) shall
(b) will
(c) should

Test No. incompl/elem-17 "White Water Rafting", answer 5

Are you really suggesting that we should actually get into one of those ridiculous things?

Correct answer: (c) should

Your answer was: incorrect
Are you really suggesting that we shall actually get into one of those ridiculous things?
_________________________

why is it should and not shall?
thank you

[Torsten]

Should expresses a recommendation while shall expresses an action that will take place in the future.

TOEFL listening lectures: A lecture from a social science class

[Abecedarian]

[Torsten]

Let's take a look at the situation. One person is expressing their disbelief by saying: Are you really suggesting that we should actually get into one of those ridiculous things? This means, the second person has said that it might be a good idea to take a specific action. That's why should is used instead of shall or will.
Do you really mean we will get into one of those ridiculous things? means that one person has said that something will happen instead of suggesting an action.

TOEIC listening, photographs: An electrician

[Abecedarian]

Thanks Torsten. Please correct me if I have understood wrongly; "should" is used to indicate a "suggestion" in the first sentence and in the second sentence using "will" indicates something is going to definitely happen.

Thanks again.

[Torsten]

Dear Abecedarian,

You got that right.

TOEIC listening, photographs: An office meeting

[Nageen]

Please Mr.Torsten explain it that

Is should used as a past form of shall? If so in what coditions ?
I have heard that the past form of will or shall is would. But some teachers say that tha past form of
shall is should.

[Nathanael86]

Hey,

what about a sentence like: "Let's have a drink. Shall we?" Isn't that rather a suggestion than a action definitely going to take place?

[Gwen2010]

Hi Torsten,

I am not sure I understand this clearly. Can you give me more samples about how to use "shall" and "should"? I also want to know the other differences between them besides they show different tenses.

Thanks

Gwen

[Vadim Zhmykov]

Hello,

As it is already said here, "shall" can also be used to express a suggestion.
As in this example: "Shall we dance".

Is using of "should" instead of "shall" in the test determined grammatically or stylistically?

Thanks

[Alan]

Hi,

'Shall' is often used to express the idea of future in the first person singular and plural in the same way that 'will' is used for the other persons. But you have to appreciate that there is no future tense in English whereby the verb form changes. It can also be used in the interrogative form to suggest - Let's (Let us) do something as in: Shall we go out for lunch? should' on the other hand has the sense of obligation as in: We should help those people who are less fortunate than we are.

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Vadim Zhmykov]

Hello Alan,

Thank you for your explanation.
So, are you saying that in the test question "Are you really suggesting that we should actually get into one of those ridiculous things?" "should" has sense of obligation?

Vadim

[Alan]

Hi Vadim,

In the test sentence 'should' does have the idea of 'ought to' 'feel obliged to' 'is the right thing to do'. It's along the lines of: Do you really think we should follow what everyone else does?

I have used 'obligation' as a very general heading. Perhaps in conversation in a similar situation, you would say: Must we really/Do we really have to actually get into one of those ridiculous things?

Hope this clarifies what I mean rather than confuses!

Alan
_________________
English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Progressive Forms

[Vadim Zhmykov]

Thank you Alan!
I really got the idea that I should learn this phrase by heart ))

[Gr8sang]

thanks thats really helped me to understand it