should

1. Ought to; indicating opinion, advice, or instruction, about what is required or desirable.Examples: "You should see his new apartment. It's like a palace!"; "If you think her piano playing is bad, you should hear her sing!"auxiliarydefectiveinformalmodalno-pastno-present-participleparticiplepast

2. (subjunctive) Used to form a variant of the present subjunctive, expressing a state or action that is hypothetical, potential, mandated, etc.Examples: "If I should be late, I should hope that you are prepared to go on without me."; "Should you need extra blankets, you will find them in the closet."; "It's his proposal that there (should) not be several dozen units."Synonyms: wereauxiliarydefectivemodalno-pastno-present-participleparticiplepastsubjunctive

3. An alternative to would with first person subjects.Examples: "If I had not been so tired, I should have laughed heartily."; ""If our friends, the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, were only with us," said the Lion, "I should be quite happy.""; ""Your Silver Shoes will carry you over the desert," replied Glinda. "If you had known their power you could have gone back to your Aunt Em the very first day you came to this country." "But then I should not have had my wonderful brains!" cried the Scarecrow. "I might have passed my whole life in the farmer's cornfield.""auxiliarydefectiveformalliterarymodalno-pastno-present-participleparticiplepast

4. An alternative to would with first person subjects.Examples: "I should imagine that they have arrived by now."; "I should think you would apologize."; "I should be very grateful to receive your prompt reply. (formal or old-fashioned)"auxiliarydefectivemodalno-pastno-present-participleparticiplepast