Modal Verbs: SHOULD Practice Tests with A1 Grammar Rules & Examples

Modal Verbs: SHOULD

In this lesson, we learn about the modal verb should. We use should to give advice or to say that something is a good idea. It is a very useful word in everyday English.

Look at this simple example:

Anna is tired. She should sleep.

This means: It is a good idea for Anna to sleep. We are giving Anna advice.

Now let's learn how to use should step by step.

What Is a Modal Verb?

A modal verb is a special helping verb. It comes before the main verb in a sentence. Modal verbs tell us about ability, possibility, or advice.

Should is a modal verb. We use it to give advice. It means "this is a good idea" or "this is the right thing to do."

Here are some very simple examples:

• You should eat breakfast. (This is good advice.)
• He should drink water. (This is a good idea.)
• She should go to the doctor. (This is the right thing to do.)

How to Use SHOULD: The Basic Rule

The rule for should is simple. Look at this pattern:

Subject + should + verb (base form)

The subject is the person or thing we are talking about. For example: I, you, he, she, it, we, they.

The verb (base form) is the simple form of the verb. For example: go, eat, sleep, drink, study, call.

Important: We do NOT change should. It is the same for all subjects. We do NOT add -s to the verb after should.

❌ He shoulds eat.
✅ He should eat.

❌ She should eats.
✅ She should eat.

Positive Sentences with SHOULD

A positive sentence says something is a good idea or the right thing to do.

Pattern: Subject + should + verb

Look at this mini story:

Tom is sick. He has a headache. His friend says: "You should rest. You should drink water. You should call a doctor."

Tom's friend is giving advice using should.

Negative Sentences with SHOULD NOT / SHOULDN'T

A negative sentence says something is NOT a good idea. We use should not or the short form shouldn't.

A contraction is when we join two words together with an apostrophe ('). It makes the sentence shorter and more natural in spoken English.

should not → shouldn't

Pattern: Subject + should not / shouldn't + verb

Look at this mini story:

Lisa wants to eat a lot of chocolate before bed. Her mum says: "You shouldn't eat chocolate at night. You shouldn't go to bed late. You should drink some warm milk."

Questions with SHOULD

We can also ask questions with should. To make a question, we put should before the subject.

Pattern: Should + subject + verb?

Look at these examples:

• Should I call him?
• Should she go to school today?
• Should we eat now?
• Should they wear a coat?

We can also use question words like what, where, when, or who with should:

Pattern: Question word + should + subject + verb?

• What should I eat?
• Where should we go?
• When should she call?
• Who should I talk to?

What Does SHOULD Mean? Three Main Uses

1. Giving Advice

We use should to tell someone what is a good idea. This is the most common use at A1 level.

• You look tired. You should go to bed.
• It is cold today. You should wear a coat.
• She has a cold. She should see a doctor.

2. Saying What Is the Right Thing to Do

We use should to say what is correct or right.

• You should be kind to people.
• Children should go to school.
• We should say thank you.

3. Asking for Advice or Suggestions

We use should in questions to ask what is a good idea.

• Should I buy this dress or that one?
• What should I cook for dinner?
• Should we take a taxi?

SHOULD vs MUST: An Important Difference

At A1 level, it is helpful to know a small difference between should and must.

Should = this is a good idea (advice). You can choose.

Must = this is very important. You have no choice.

For example:

• You should eat vegetables. (This is good advice. It is healthy.)
• You must wear a seatbelt in a car. (This is the law. You have no choice.)

Contractions: Should Not → Shouldn't

A contraction is a short form of two words. We use an apostrophe (') to show that a letter is missing.

should not → shouldn't

The letter o from not is removed and replaced with '.

Both forms are correct. Shouldn't is more natural in speaking and informal writing.

Note: There is no contraction for the positive form. We do NOT write shouldn't to mean should. We only write shouldn't for should not.

Common Mistakes with SHOULD

Here are the most common mistakes students make with should. Read them carefully!

❌ She shoulds eat breakfast.
✅ Should never changes. She should eat breakfast.

❌ He should to go to the doctor.
✅ Do not use "to" after should. He should go to the doctor.

❌ You should eating more fruit.
✅ Use the base form of the verb, not -ing. You should eat more fruit.

❌ Should you go there? Yes, I should go.
✅ Use a short answer. Yes, I should. (We do not repeat the main verb in a short answer.)

❌ I not should be late.
✅ Put "not" after "should". I should not be late.

❌ Should I to buy milk?
✅ Do not use "to" after should in questions. Should I buy milk?

Everyday Situations: Using SHOULD

Here are some common everyday situations where we use should. These will help you remember when to use it.

At Home

• You should clean your room.
• We should turn off the lights.
• She shouldn't watch TV all day.

At School

• You should do your homework.
• He shouldn't talk in class.
• We should listen to the teacher.

Health

• You should drink eight glasses of water a day.
• She shouldn't eat too much fast food.
• He should go to the doctor.

Being Polite

• You should say please and thank you.
• We shouldn't shout at people.
• Children should respect their parents.

Modal Verbs: SHOULD — Quick Summary

Let's look at everything we learned in this lesson.

• Should is a modal verb. It never changes. It is the same for all subjects: I, you, he, she, it, we, they.
• We use should to give advice or say what is a good idea.
• The pattern for positive sentences is: Subject + should + verb (base form).
• The pattern for negative sentences is: Subject + should not / shouldn't + verb (base form).
• The pattern for questions is: Should + subject + verb?
• We never use to after should.
• We never add -s or -ing to the verb after should.
• The contraction of should not is shouldn't.

Now practise modal verbs: should in the exercises below.