
Originally Posted by
Excalibur
Raymott is confusing two of the uses of 'should':
No, actually I'm not. All my examples refer to your second meaning - the one about probability.
1. when it is used to indicate obligation, duty, or correctness, typically when criticizing someone's actions :
"He should have been more careful."
and
2. used to indicate what is probable : AS IN THE GIVEN SENTENCE (to which my response was directed.)
"The bus should arrive in a few minutes."
Well, there were no buses in the original sentence, but we can let that pass.
My response was directed to your correction of the given question.
"He should have reached reach his destination by Monday, if the weather is good." I was attempting to demonstrate that:
"He should have reached his destination by Monday, if the weather is good." is also correct.
My example was of the same form, but it was easier to demonstrate the grammar.
He should have dropped off your parcel by then. (Your parcel should be ready to pick up).
A: Do you have my parcel?
B: No the courier hasn't arrived yet.
A: Can I call back after 3 o'clock.
B: Yes, he should have dropped off your parcel by then.
I don't see how you've misunderstood this sentence to refer to the 'obligation, duty, or correctness' meaning. Don't you use this construction in UK? Can you see that the sentence is right now?
By Raymott's reckoning, that would read: "The bus should have arrived in a few minutes."
No, I wouldn't argue that that was right.
In the right context, "The bus should have arrived by 3 o'clock" (in the future) is a correct sentence, just as the sentence above is correct.
Can you see that there's a difference between "in a certain amount of time" and "by a certain time"?
Sometimes the appropriate grammar gets a bit tricky when you change a preposition, or add an adverb, etc.