Should and Shouldn't for Advice
Use should + the base verb to give advice or say what is a good idea: 'You should rest', 'You shouldn't smoke'. The form never changes — no -s for he/she/it, no 'to' after should, and no do/does.
Level: A2. Should is the everyday word for advice in English. Use it to say what you think is a good idea — for yourself or for someone else — without making it an order.
The rule
A modal verb is a helping verb that adds meaning like advice, obligation or possibility to a main verb. Should is a modal. The main verb after it stays in its base form — the plain dictionary form with no ending: rest, go, see, try.
Should means “it is a good idea to” or “I advise you to”. Like all modals, it has only one shape. Every subject uses the same word — I should, you should, he should, she should, we should, they should. There is no -s for he/she/it, and there is no to before the main verb.
- You should rest. / She should rest. / They should rest. (all the same)
- He should see a doctor.
The negative is should not, almost always the contraction shouldn’t. It means “it is not a good idea” or “I advise you not to”. Questions put should before the subject: Should I call her? You never add do or does.
Should forms
| Form | Example | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | I / you / he / she / we / they should rest | same for all subjects |
| Negative | You shouldn’t (should not) worry | shouldn’t is the normal form |
| Question | Should I call her? | should before the subject |
| Short answer (yes) | Yes, you should. | no main verb needed |
| Short answer (no) | No, you shouldn’t. | the short answer is enough |
How to say it
- Should has a silent l — say it “shood”, rhyming with good and would. Do not sound the l.
- In normal speech should is unstressed and light; the stress falls on the main verb: “you-shd-REST”.
- Shouldn’t keeps a light “t” at the end: “SHOOD-nt”. The n’t is what tells a listener it is negative, so do not drop it.
Example sentences
- You should rest.Simple advice — base verb, no 'to'.
- You should drink more water.A recommendation for better health.
- He should see a doctor.Same form for 'he' — no -s on should.
- You shouldn't eat so much sugar.Negative advice: shouldn't = should not.
- We should leave now.A good idea for 'we'.
- You should study for the test.Advice about what is sensible to do.
- They should book the tickets early.Plural subject, same 'should'.
- Should I call her tonight?Question: should comes first, no 'do'.
- Should we take an umbrella?Asking for advice about a plan.
- You shouldn't drive when you're tired.Negative advice with a reason.
- She should be more careful.Advice with 'be' as the base verb.
- You should try the local food.A friendly recommendation.
- I think you should apologise.Advice softened with 'I think'.
- You shouldn't worry so much.Telling someone a habit is not a good idea.
- We shouldn't be late.Negative advice for 'we'.
- What should I do?Asking for advice with a question word.
- Children should go to bed early.General advice for a group.
- You should probably ask your teacher.'probably' makes the advice gentler.
- The train should arrive at six.Should for what we expect to happen.
- You should have told me.Should have + past participle: advice about the past.
Common mistakes
- ❌ You should to rest. → ✅ You should rest. No to after a modal — the base verb comes straight after should.
- ❌ He shoulds see a doctor. → ✅ He should see a doctor. Should never takes -s, even for he / she / it.
- ❌ Do you should call her? → ✅ Should you call her? Modals make questions by moving themselves; no do / does.
- ❌ You should studying. → ✅ You should study. Use the base verb, not the -ing form, after should.
- ❌ You don’t should smoke. → ✅ You shouldn’t smoke. The negative is shouldn’t, built on should itself.
- ❌ She should is careful. → ✅ She should be careful. The base form of is is be; use should be.
A short conversation
A: I have a bad cough and I can’t sleep. B: You should see a doctor. You shouldn’t wait too long. A: Should I go today? B: Yes, you should. And you shouldn’t drink cold things for now.
Usage notes
- Advice, not orders. Should says what is a good idea; it leaves the choice to the listener. “You should apologise” is friendly advice, while “You must apologise” feels much stronger.
- Expectation too. Should can also mean “I expect this to be true or to happen”: “The train should arrive at six”, “This should work.” The form is the same.
- Softeners. Phrases like I think, maybe and probably make advice gentler: “I think you should rest”, “You should probably call first.”
- Should have + past participle. To give advice about something already finished, use should have + the past participle: “You should have told me.” It often shows mild regret. The present-tense advice in this lesson is the main use at A2.
- Ought to. Ought to means almost the same as should, but it is the one modal that keeps to: “You ought to rest.” It is a little more formal and less common in speech.
Compared with…
- Must and mustn’t are far stronger than should. Must is strong obligation or a strong recommendation from the speaker: “You must stop at a red light.” Mustn’t is a prohibition (“it is forbidden”), not just bad advice: “You mustn’t park here.” Compare “You shouldn’t park here” (not a good idea) with “You mustn’t park here” (not allowed). See Must and Mustn’t.
- Have to shows obligation that comes from outside — a rule, a law, the situation — not your personal advice: “I have to wear a uniform at work.” Should is your opinion; have to is a requirement someone else sets. See Have To and Don’t Have To.
- The simplest modal, Can and Can’t for Ability, is a useful comparison for the bare-verb pattern that every modal shares.
Quick recap before you practise.
Practice
Should for advice practice
Try each one, then press Check. No sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.
Hint: Modal first — no 'do'.
Show answer
Should — Should questions start with should, never with do.
3 Put the words in order to make a correct sentence.
Show answer
You should see a doctor — You + should + the base verb 'see' + object.
4 Match each start to a natural ending.
- You should
- You shouldn't
- Should I
- We should
Show answer
- You should → rest
- You shouldn't → smoke
- Should I → apologise?
- We should → leave now
Should and shouldn't are always followed by the plain base verb.
Hint: should + not
Show answer
shouldn't — The negative of should is shouldn't (should not).
Quiz
Should for advice quiz
12 questions · pick an answer and you'll see straight away if it's right.
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Show answer
should — Should is followed by the base verb, with no 'to'.
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Show answer
should — Should never adds -s, even for he.
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Show answer
Should I call her? — Move 'should' to the front; no 'do', no 'to'.
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Show answer
You shouldn't smoke. — The negative is shouldn't + base verb.
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Show answer
Yes, you should. — The short answer uses only 'should': Yes, you should.
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Show answer
You should study. — Use the base verb 'study' after should.
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Show answer
be — The base form of 'is' is 'be': should be.
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Show answer
You should calls. — The verb after should stays in the base form: you should call.
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Show answer
should — Question words sit before 'should I' + base verb.
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Show answer
shouldn't — should not contracts to shouldn't.
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Show answer
You must stop. — Must is strong obligation; should is only advice.
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Show answer
what we expect — Here should expresses expectation — what we think will happen.
Recap cheat-sheet
| Form | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | subject + should + base verb | You should rest. |
| Negative | subject + shouldn’t + base verb | You shouldn’t smoke. |
| Question | Should + subject + base verb? | Should I call? |
| Short answer | Yes, you should. / No, you shouldn’t. | (no main verb) |
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A1 30 topics · 30 ready
- 01 Verb 'To Be' in the Present (am, is, are)
- 02 Subject Pronouns: I, You, He, She, It, We, They
- 03 Present Simple: Affirmative and the -s Ending
- 04 Present Simple: Negatives and Questions (do/does)
- 05 Articles: a / an and When to Use Each
- 06 The Definite Article 'The': When to Use It
- 07 Zero Article: When to Use No Article
- 08 Plural Nouns: Regular and Irregular Forms
- 09 This, That, These, Those (Demonstratives)
- 10 Possessive Adjectives: my, your, his, her
- 11 Possessive 's and s' (Showing Belonging)
- 12 There Is / There Are (Saying What Exists)
- 13 Have Got: Talking About Possession
- 14 Can and Can't for Ability
- 15 Present Continuous (am/is/are + -ing)
- 16 Imperatives: Giving Orders and Instructions
- 17 Adjectives: Position and Basic Use
- 18 Prepositions of Place: in, on, at
- 19 Prepositions of Time: in, on, at
- 20 Question Words: What, Where, When, Who, Why, How
- 21 How Much vs How Many
- 22 Countable and Uncountable Nouns
- 23 Some and Any: Which One to Use
- 24 Object Pronouns: me, you, him, her, us, them
- 25 Adverbs of Frequency and Their Position
- 26 Like, Love, Hate + -ing (Expressing Preferences)
- 27 Would Like: Polite Wants and Offers
- 28 Making Requests: Can, Could, May I
- 29 Past Simple of 'To Be' (was / were)
- 30 Let's and Shall We: Making Suggestions
A2 25 topics · 25 ready
- 31 Past Simple: Regular Verbs and -ed Spelling
- 32 Past Simple: Irregular Verbs (go, see, have)
- 33 Past Simple: Negatives and Questions (did)
- 34 Comparative Adjectives (bigger, more expensive)
- 35 Superlative Adjectives (the biggest, the most)
- 36 Going To: Plans and Predictions
- 37 Will: Predictions, Decisions and Offers
- 38 Present Continuous for Future Arrangements
- 39 Present Perfect for Experience (ever / never)
- 40 Present Perfect with just, already, yet
- 41 Present Perfect vs Past Simple
- 42 Have To and Don't Have To (Obligation)
- 43 Should and Shouldn't for Advice You are here
- 44 Could: Past Ability and Polite Use
- 45 Much, Many, A Lot Of
- 46 A Few, A Little, Few, Little
- 47 Adverbs of Manner (quickly, well, hard)
- 48 Verb + -ing or Verb + to (Introduction)
- 49 Zero Conditional (Facts and Rules)
- 50 First Conditional (Real Future Possibility)
- 51 Prepositions of Movement (to, into, through)
- 52 Possessive Pronouns: mine, yours, hers
- 53 Past Continuous (was/were + -ing)
- 54 Too and Enough (Degree)
- 55 Order of Adjectives Before a Noun
B1 27 topics · 27 ready
- 56 Past Continuous vs Past Simple
- 57 Used To and Would for Past Habits
- 58 Present Perfect Continuous (have been -ing)
- 59 Present Perfect: Simple vs Continuous
- 60 Past Perfect (had + past participle)
- 61 Second Conditional (Unreal Present/Future)
- 62 Third Conditional (Unreal Past)
- 63 Reported Speech: Statements (Backshift)
- 64 Reported Questions
- 65 Reported Commands and Requests
- 66 Passive Voice: Present and Past Simple
- 67 Must and Mustn't (Strong Obligation)
- 68 May, Might, Could for Possibility
- 69 Defining Relative Clauses (who, which, that)
- 70 Non-Defining Relative Clauses (with commas)
- 71 Gerunds and Infinitives: Full Verb Patterns
- 72 Verbs Where -ing vs to Changes Meaning
- 73 Future Continuous (will be -ing)
- 74 So and Such (Emphasis)
- 75 As...As Comparisons (equality)
- 76 Question Tags (isn't it? do you?)
- 77 Phrasal Verbs: Separable and Inseparable
- 78 Linking Words: because, so, although, but
- 79 Infinitive of Purpose (to / in order to)
- 80 Indirect Questions (Can you tell me...)
- 81 Make, Let, Allow, Help (Causatives Intro)
- 82 Be Used To and Get Used To (+ -ing)
B2 25 topics · 25 ready
- 83 Narrative Tenses for Storytelling
- 84 Past Perfect Continuous (had been -ing)
- 85 Mixed Conditionals
- 86 Wish and If Only (Regrets and Wishes)
- 87 Wish/If Only + would (Complaints)
- 88 Passive Voice: All Tenses and Modals
- 89 Reporting Passive (It is said that / is said to)
- 90 Causative: Have/Get Something Done
- 91 Reduced Relative Clauses (Participles)
- 92 Modals of Deduction: Present and Past
- 93 Needn't Have vs Didn't Need To
- 94 Future Perfect (will have done)
- 95 Participle Clauses (-ing / -ed / having done)
- 96 Advanced Comparatives (far/much + er, the more)
- 97 Conditional Alternatives: unless, as long as, provided
- 98 Advanced Determiners: each, every, either, neither
- 99 Intensifiers and Adverbs of Degree
- 100 Advanced Contrast: despite, in spite of, however
- 101 Advanced Linkers: therefore, moreover, consequently
- 102 Advanced Article Use (generalisations, names)
- 103 Verb + Preposition and Adjective + Preposition
- 104 Relative Clauses: whose, where, when, quantifier + whom
- 105 Subject-Verb Agreement: Tricky Cases
- 106 Emphatic Do (I do like it)
- 107 Would for Past Habits (Formal Narrative)
C1 18 topics · 18 ready
- 108 Inversion with Negative Adverbials
- 109 Inversion in Conditionals (Had I known)
- 110 Cleft Sentences (It was... / What I need is...)
- 111 Fronting and Emphasis (Word Order)
- 112 Subjunctive and Mandative (I suggest he be)
- 113 Ellipsis and Substitution (so, do, one)
- 114 Hedging and Cautious Language
- 115 Nominalisation (Academic Noun Style)
- 116 Advanced Discourse Markers (Spoken & Written)
- 117 Advanced Passive (passive + infinitive, get-passive)
- 118 Advanced Comparative Structures (no sooner...than)
- 119 Future in the Past (was going to / would)
- 120 Advanced Modals (may well, might as well, would rather)
- 121 Advanced Reported Speech (Reporting Verbs + Patterns)
- 122 Advanced and Idiomatic Phrasal Verbs
- 123 Collocation and Colligation (Natural Combinations)
- 124 Advanced Concession (much as, whatever, however + adj)
- 125 Absolute and Non-Finite Clauses (Formal)