Distinguishing Between Should & Would

Should vs Would

Should and Would are two distinct modal verbs with different meanings and usages. Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs that express necessity or possibility. The modal verb “should” is used to convey a sense of injunction, order, obligation, or duty. In contrast, the modal verb “would” is used to express a request.

Key Takeaways

• Should is used to express injunction, order, obligation, or duty.
• Would is used to convey a request, often in a polite manner.
• Both verbs have additional usages, such as “should” sometimes being used to mean “have to,” and “would” being used to express conditional actions.

Meaning of Should

The modal verb “should” is used to denote injunction, order, obligation, or duty. For example:

• You should do it today.
• She should get it now.

In these sentences, “should” conveys a sense of order. “Should” is sometimes used in the sense of “have to,” as in the following examples:

• I should do it today at any cost.
• He should go to the hospital today.

In both sentences, “should” means “have to.”

Meaning of Would

The modal verb “would” is used to express a request, often politely. Consider these examples:

• Would you please give me your phone number?
• Would you please let me inside the house?

In both sentences, “would” is used to convey a polite request. “Would” is sometimes used with a question mark, similar to the modal verb “may.” “Would” is also used to indicate a conditional sense, as in these examples:

• I would definitely come if you let me.
• I would have told you all about it if you had invited me to your party.

In these sentences, “would” is used to show how one action depends on another.

Difference between Should and Would

• Should is used to convey injunction, order, obligation, or duty.
• Would is used to express a request, often politely.
• Would is sometimes used with a question mark, like the modal verb “may.”
• Should is sometimes used to mean “have to.”

These are the key differences between the modal verbs “should” and “would.”