shouldn't have left

Status
Not open for further replies.

englishhobby

Key Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Russian
Home Country
Russian Federation
Current Location
Russian Federation
Is the first sentence ambiguous? In the grammar comment for this sentence they said it means that the speaker is making an assumption that the woman hasn't left work yet. Keeping in mind another meaning of should have left (that it was desirable for her to leave the office), can we say that the meaning of the first sentence can be either and depends on the context?

She shouldn't have left work yet. (I'll call her office.)


Here is one more similar example:
He shouldn't have boarded his plane yet. We can probably still get hold of him.
 

Grumpy

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2009
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
You are correct. It all depends on the context. In both the contexts shown, the assumption meaning holds good.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top