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Shall I ? Generally represents a request on the part of the speaker to know the wishes or opinion of the person he is talking to: Shall I try this number again? Only in limited circumstances is it used in a 'pure' future sense (see above) Shall I ? Is, of course, much stronger than Should I?, and the question calls for a firm response such as Yes, please do, or No, don't bother rather than Yes, you should, or No, you shouldn't. Nevertheless, shall I ? And should I? are clearly related. When such questions are reported, shall always becomes should (never would):
Should and ought to express advice or recommendation. The advice or recommendation may relate to everyday or practical matters, or to what is morally desirable: You should/ought to read that book. You'd enjoy it. You should/ought to see a doctor if you're still feeling ill tomorrow. You shouldn't/ought not to tell lies. All these sentences have a present or future time reference. Had better ('d better) is used to suggest the wisest course of action in a particular situation: You'd better see a doctor if you're still feeling ill tomorrow. The short form 'd better is usual in affermative positive sentences. In affermative negative sentences, the negative particle not comes after the complete phrase: You'd better not make a mistake next time. In interrogative negative sentences, however, n't comes after had: Hadn't you better see who that is at the door? Had better is used almost exclusively with the present infinitive, and refers to present or future time. Should and ought to are used with the perfect infinitive to refer to past time, and in this case the sentences always imply that the opposite was in fact true: He should/ought to have been a little more tactfull. (i.e. but he wasn't tactful) |