Should vs Should Be: Difference and Comparison

People in the World speak in their Mother Tongue to communicate. Unity between the people in the World, the English language helps in communication. The English language has some structures, tenses, and basics to follow.

Key Takeaways

1. “Should” expresses a recommendation or a duty, whereas “should be” describes a state of being or an action in progress.
2. “Should” is followed by a verb, while “should be” is followed by a noun or an adjective.
3. “Should” implies an obligation or expectation, while “should be” describes a current state or ongoing process.

Should vs Should Be

‘Should’ is a modal verb used to give advice or suggestions to an individual. In contrast, ‘Should be’ is a modal verb to indicate duty or give permission. Unite the people in the World English language helps to communicate. The English language has some structures, tenses, and basics to follow.

Should’ is a modal verb used to pronounce and past tense word for ‘Shall.’ ‘Should’ is used to give advice, recommend correctness, and express expectations.

On the other hand, Should be is a helping verb used in the English Language. Should be’ is used to indicate the actions like making an order, correctness, have to need something.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Should	Should Be
Parts of Speech	‘Should’ is a modal verb. It is the past tense of the word ‘Shall’.	‘Should be’ is a modal verb or helping verb.
Usage	It is a modal verb used for advice and expectations.	Used for recommendations, need to do something, orders.
Meaning	Use to signify advice or suggestion from an individual.	This means that submissions or corrections, or necessary works from an individual.
Tenses	‘Should’ is used in the past tense.	‘Should be’ is used in the past tense for necessary things.
Example	You should buy a car instead of a bike.	You should be here in 10 mins.

What is Should?

Should is a word used in the past tense of the word Shall.’ It is known as a modal verb or a helping verb.

1. You should bring the things for tomorrow’s function.
2. You should eat fast food within the limit.
3. You should buy a car instead of a bike.

Although it is a modal verb for actions and sometimes used for questioning. For Example

1. Should I bring this suit for tomorrow’s wedding?
2. Should we turn back to our destination?
3. Should we buy this for grandmother?

‘Should’ alone does not have deliberate contrast in grammar. It had used for structure development in conversations.

What is Should Be?

‘Should be’ is a modal verb used in English sentence structure. It represents the actions of an individual, like things must do, ordering, expectations, superiority, and others.

 ‘Should be’ is used in the past tense. It refers to a person according to time. For Example

1. Vinay should be here at 4:00 PM with Pavani.
2. You should be there and present on time.
3. She should be working in this company.

‘Should be’ refers to an individual official manner of work. This word includes obligations and expectations. It is used to represent a group of people or an individual.

1. Everyone should be here at 3:00 PM
2. Your team should be attending this meeting.
3. Everyone should be attentive to their work.

‘Should be’ used for the right things, and ‘Should be’ had used in base form. The modal verb ‘Should be’ is used in the early period sentence structure.

Main Differences Between Should and Should Be

1. Should is a modal verb, a continuation of the verb used in the past tense of ‘Shall.’ ‘Should be’ is a modal verb used in the past tense in necessary actions.
2. The word ‘Should’ was used to start in the early 12th century from the Old English Sceolde. In contrast, ‘Should be’ was first used by Charles Dodgson in poems.
3. ‘Should’ indicates actions, like advice, suggestions, obligations, and questioning, whereas ‘Should be’ in cases like needing something, expectations, necessary work, and order, used by representing a group of people or for an individual.
4. Both ‘Should’ and ‘Should be’ are used in the past tense, but the usage differs in different situations.
5. ‘Should’ alone does not have deliberate contrast in grammar, whereas ‘should be’ is used for deliberate contrast.

References

1. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/acp.877
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001002859990717X

Last Updated : 11 June, 2023