How to Speculate in English - Practice

Practice the use of the word should

Lesson Transcript

Do you know how to use "should" in English?

Welcome to Three Step English Practice by EnglishClass101.com. In this lesson, you will practice how to speculate with "should."

Let’s look at the main dialogue.

Steve Brown and Angela Adams are having a conversation.

So you grew up around here?

Yeah, I'm a real New Yorker.

You should know this town better than anyone, then.

Here, Steve says "should" to make a speculative guess. "Know" is the bare infinitive which follows "should," to describe the action he guesses that she is able to do. In this case, the action would be "knowing the town."

Let’s practice with this grammar more in this lesson.

Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready?

The test should

easy.

The test should

easy.

The test should be easy.

"Be" is the bare infinitive, while "to be" is the full infinitive form. When forming speculative sentences with "should," "should" is always followed by the bare infinitive, not the full infinitive form.

Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready?

You should

Union Pizza.

You should

Union Pizza.

love

You should love Union Pizza.

"Love" is the bare infinitive form, so we use this after "should." "Loving" is the gerund, and we would use it if we were actively performing that action.

Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready?

Everybody should

at the restaurant already.

Everybody should

at the restaurant already.

Everybody should be at the restaurant already.

Here, the sentence is in present tense, so the answer is "be" again. "Been" is only used for talking about things in the past tense.

Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready?

If you like pizza, you should (liked or like) this place.

If you like pizza, you should like this place.

"Like" is used here because the sentence is in the present tense.

Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready?

It shouldn't (be or to be) too hard to find the restaurant.

It shouldn't be too hard to find the restaurant.

"Be" is used here because it is the bare infinitive form.

Unscramble the words to make a sentence.

Dinner

Dinner should

Dinner should be

Dinner should be ready

Dinner should be ready soon.

Unscramble the words to make a sentence.

Everybody

Everybody should

Everybody should be

Everybody should be at

Everybody should be at the

Everybody should be at the restaurant

Everybody should be at the restaurant already.

Listen to what I say. Can you match the bare infinitive in the sentence to the full infinitive here?

Let's start!

This project shouldn't take too long.

Listen one more time.

This project shouldn't take too long.

Did you hear, "take"?

The full infinitive form of "take" is "to take."

How about...?

This problem shouldn't be too hard to solve for you.

Let’s listen one more time.

This problem shouldn't be too hard to solve for you.

Did you hear "be"?

The full infinitive form of "be" is "to be."

Next...

The train should arrive soon.

One more time.

The train should arrive soon.

Did you hear "arrive"?

The full infinitive form of "arrive" is "to arrive."

Next...

If you live here, you should find it easily.

One more time.

If you live here, you should find it easily.

Did you hear "find"?

The full infinitive form of "find" is "to find."

And...

If you liked this movie, you should like the sequel too.

One more time.

If you liked this movie, you should like the sequel too.

Did you hear "like"?

The full infinitive form of "like" is "to like."

Now you know more about how to speculate in English.

Thank you for watching.

Now you know more about how to speculate in English.

...and now you can move on to the next lesson in the pathway.

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