Didn’t need to (do) and needn’t have (done)

‘I didn’t need to...’ = it was not necessary for me to... (and I knew this at the time): I didn’t need to get up early, so I didn’t.

‘I needn’t have (done) something’ = I did something but now I know that it was not necessary: I got up very early because I had to get ready to go away. But in fact it didn’t take me long to get ready. So, I needn’t have got up so early. I could have stayed in bed longer.

 

Should

In modern English the modal verb ‘should’ is used with reference to the present or future and it remains unchanged in reported speech. ‘Should’ is nearly always interchangeable with ‘ought to’, as their meanings coincide.

‘Should’ has the following meanings:

a) obligation which in different contexts may acquire additional shades of meaning, such as advisability or desirability: Private firearms should be banned. He should phone his father, but he probably won’t have time.

When used in negative sentences ‘should’ denotes a weakened prohibition, more like negative advice: He shouldn’t be so impatient.

In an affirmative sentence ‘should + perfect infinitive’ denotes criticism, faultfinding; the statement indicates that a desirable action was not carried out.

Your shoes are wet. You should have stayed at home. He should have told me about it himself.

In a negative sentence ‘should + perfect infinitive’ serves to show that an undesireable action was carried out, something wrong was done.

You shouldn’t have done that. It was stupid. They should never have married. They are so unhappy.

b) supposition implying strong probability, something naturally expected (only with reference to the present or future).

This film should be very good as it is starring first-class actors.

The use of ‘should’ in this case does not seem to be very common as this meaning is normally rendered by ‘must’.

c) ‘Should’ may have a peculiar function – it may be used for emotional colouring. In this function it may be called ‘the emotional should’. The use of ‘the emotional should’ is also structurally dependent. It is found in the following cases:

1) in special emphatic constructions, where a simple predicate isn’t used:

a) in rhetorical questions beginning with ‘why’: Why should I do it? С какой стати я буду делать это? Why shouldn’ t you invite him? Почему бы вам его не пригласить?

b) in object clauses beginning with ‘why’: I don’t know why he should want to see George. Я не знаю, зачем только ему нужен Джордж.

c) in attributive clauses beginning with ‘why’: There is no reason why they shouldn’t get on very well together. Нет причины, почему бы им не ладить друг с другом.

d) in constructions of the following kind: The door opened and who should come in but Tom. Дверь открылась, и кто бы вы думали вошел? Никто иной, как Том. As I was crossing the street whom should I meet but Aunt Ann. Когда я переходил улицу, кого вы думаете я встретил? Тетю Анну.

e) in the set phrase ‘How should I know?’ – Почем я знаю?

d) constructions of the in following kind:

That it should come to this! И до чего дошло дело!

To think that it should come to this! Только подумать, до чего дошло дело!

To think that it should have happened to me! Только подумать, что это произошло со мной!

 

You can use ‘should’ after a number of verbs, especially: suggest propose recommend insist demand

• They insisted that we should have dinner with them.

• I demanded that he should apologise.

• What do you suggest I should do?

In the same way, you can use ‘should’ after the nouns ‘suggestion’ / ‘proposal’ / ‘recommendation’ etc.: What do you think of Jane’s suggestion that I should buy a car?

and also after ‘it’s important / vital / necessary / essential that...’: It’s essential that you should be here on time.

NB

You can also leave out ‘should’ in all the examples above:

• It’s essential that you be here on time. (= that you should be here)

• I demanded that he apologise.

• What do you suggest I do?

The forms (you be / he apologise etc.) are the forms of the subjunctive mood.

Be careful with ‘suggest’. You cannot use particle ‘to’ after ‘suggest’: What do you suggest we should do? or What do you suggest we do?

 

If ... should ...

You can say ‘If something should happen ...’. For example:

• If Tom should phone while I’m out, tell him I’ll phone him back later.

‘If Tom should phone’ is similar to ‘If Tom phones’. With ‘should’, the speaker feels that the possibility is smaller. Another example:

• I’ve left the washing outside. If it should rain, can you bring it in?

You can also put should at the beginning of these sentences (‘Should something happen ...’):

• Should Tom phone, can you tell him I’ll phone him back later?

 

Ought to

I. The modal verb ‘ought to’ has only one form which is used with reference to the present or future. In reported speech it remains unchanged.

II. The modal verb ‘ought to’ has the following meanings:

1. moral duty, moral obligation which in different contexts may acquire additional shades of meaning, such as advisability and desirability. In this meaning ‘ought to’ is used in all kinds of sentences. Generally it refers an action to the future and is followed by the simple infinitive.

You ought to say a word or two about yourself. Ought she to warn him?

In combination with the perfect infinitive ‘ought to in the affirmative shows that a desirable action was not fulfilled: He ought to have been more careful.

In the negative form ought to in combination with the perfect infinitive shows that an undesirable action was fulfilled: You oughtn’t to have laughed at his mistakes.

2) supposition implying strong probability, something that can be naturally expected. It corresponds to Russian ‘должно быть’, ‘наверное’: You ought to be hungry by now.

In this sense ‘ought to’ is a weaker equivalent of ‘must’ when the latter denotes supposition implying strong probability.

3) ‘ought to + infinitive’ is used when describing something exciting, funny or beautiful in the meaning of ‘I wish you could’: You ought to hear the way he plays the piano! Ты бы слышал, как он играет на пианино.

4) Notice the set phrase:

He (you) ought to know it (= he (you) is (are) supposed to know it).

 

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