should

Cultural do’s and don’ts

SHOULD

Use should to make recommendations or give advice. It can also be used to express expectation.

You should go to school every day.
I should do the laundry today.

MUST

Use must to express a strong obligation

I must pay the bills tonight.
You must fix the car.

Activity: Advice about visiting your country

Give some advice about cultural do’s and don’ts for foreign people visiting your birth country.

You should….
You shouldn’t…
You must…
You mustn’t…

Talk about:

Body language
Table manners
Greetings
Directness and indirectness
Family and other relationships
Gifts
Hospitality and visits
Religion
Clothing
Transport and travel
Tipping
Politeness
Eye contact
Special holidays and celebrations

Modals of regret

Do you have any regrets?

Use these modals to talk about your regrets:

SHOULD + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE

I should have listened to my parents more when I was a teenager. (I didn’t listen to my parents. Now I’m a poor artist who can’t pay the bills.)

COULD + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE

I could have chosen a different career. (I didn’t like my parents’ suggestions and chose to go to art school.)

WOULD + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE

I wish I had listened to my parents. I would have been a rich doctor now. (Unfortunately, I’m just a poor artist and nobody knows my name.)