Will and should for past tense

[tufguy]

"Yesterday I decided that today I would go out for ultrasound scan. Yesterday I also had a word with a receptionist of a diagnostic centre over the precautions that I had to take before ultrasound scan. She told me that I didn't have to pee before ultrasound scan and there should be some pee pressure or bladder pressure".

"I told them that we would/will come today" or "we would/will come the next day".

"Before leaving my house my friend told me that I should make sure that he had money for the bus fare(cheapstake)".

"Before leaving my house my friend told me that (he meant whenever he comes to my house in future) I should make sure that he had money every time he came to my house".


Please check.

Could you please also tell me whether "will" can be used in place of "would" when talking about a past incidents as in my second sentence and can we use "should" when talking about past or do we need to do use "should have done" every time.

 

[tufguy]

Thank you and what about my other question? Could you please check my sentences as well?

 

[tufguy]

I am waiting for the replies guy. Please reply.

 

[tufguy]

Can anyone help? Please.

 

[tufguy]

I need help guys. Please help.

 

[Jpking]

"I told them that we would/will come today" or "we would/will come the next day".

"Before leaving my house my friend told me that I should make sure that he had money for the bus fare(cheapstake)".

Piscean is my boss and he has spoken well. However, since you seem not satiated, I will attempt to answer with these examples you gave.

In the first one,
I told them that we would come today. This is more appropriate than using 'will' since the direct speech has already been said. He already told them.

In the second example, will is more appropriate since action will be fulfilled the next day.

Now for should

Before leaving my house my friend told me that I should make sure that he had money for the bus fare(cheapstake)

Recall the rule Piscean gave;
When the future time reported in the direct speech is still future at the time of reporting that speech, then backshifting is optional.

If I get you clearly, you're saying, anytime your friend visit you, he must always be given his tfare on his way back.

If that's the case, should is appropriate. Using would will entirely change the meaning and tense of the sentence structure.

All the best.

Am not a teacher, but a learner.

 

[tufguy]

Thank you Piscean and JPking for your time.

Actually I was thinking that sometimes we have to convert "should" to "should have done" in past.

But you are saying that we can use "should" only.

Like I am telling an incident to my friend "1) Henry told me that I should go there on wednesday (we are talking on Monday)" and "2) Henry told me that I should go there (when we are talking, incident has already happened, I have already been to that place)".

 

[Jpking]

You're welcome tufguy!

In the examples you gave, which are:

"1) Henry told me that I should go there on wednesday (we are talking on Monday)" and "2) Henry told me that I should go there (when we are talking, incident has already happened, I have already been to that place)".


You're very correct!

Should have, could have, would have are past modals. I will explain it briefly to you. You see, we use should for recommendation or advice. We use could for possibilities, while we use would for imaginary things (note that would is more certain than could).

E.g.

In the first example you gave, Henry advised or recommended for reasons best known to him that you should go on Monday. The action is still in the future.

The second example is correct according to the way you used it. However, if Henry had advised you to go on Wednesday and you had refused, then, using past modal should have will be appropriate.

E.g.

I shouldn't have been rejected if I had gone on Wednesday.

So you see, should have also expresses regrets.

Would have is for imagining things.

E.g.

If I were a girl, I would always wear make up.

But you are not a girl, it's all your imagination.

Could have is appropriate for possibilities.

We could have left earlier.

Same principle for could,

We could go fishing tomorrow.

It's a possibility.

But if the speaker had said,

We would go fishing tomorrow.

That's more certain.

I hope you get my points.

Am not a teacher, just a learner.

 

[tufguy]

"if Henry had advised you to go on Wednesday and you had refused, then, using past modal should have will be appropriate."

Sorry I didn't get you.

 

[tufguy]

Please reply JPking.

 

[emsr2d2]

"If Henry had advised you to go on Wednesday and you had refused, then using the past modal "should have" [STRIKE]will[/STRIKE] would be appropriate."

You will note that there was a word missing from post 2. I have added the word "advised" to that post and to your quote (I have underlined it above).

I have also added some punctuation. Does that make the meaning any clearer?

 

[tufguy]

Sorry guys, you people must be wondering that how many questions does this guy ask, sorry for this and thank you for help.

If I had refused then only I could use "should have done" but that's not mandatory, we can use "should" as well. If this incident happened one year back and now I am telling this to a friend of mine then also I can use "should" like "he told me that I should go there".