another instance of this 'should'

[constantinusphilo]

There is another instance of this 'should' from the same author, Paul Bowles (The sheltering Sky):
at the same time it was inevitable that she should regard the dream
as an omen.

 

[GoesStation]

That's a common usage.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Yes. It means would. It's kind of old-fashioned.

 

[GoesStation]

Yes. It means would. It's kind of old-fashioned.

I don't think they mean the same thing. Would would express a conditional, while should expresses a subjunctive mood.

 

[jutfrank]

That's a common usage.

Yes, right. This is not the same use of should as in the example in the other post about twilight.

Yes. It means would. It's kind of old-fashioned.

Yes, I agree it's very similar to would. It's characteristic of British English to use should rather than would here, which I suppose might make it sound rather old-fashioned to American ears.

This use of should is particularly common I'd say in subordinate that-clauses, of the pattern: It + BE + [adjective] + that-clause

In Michael Swan's PEU entry on this, he says that it expresses "personal judgements and reactions, especially to facts which are already known or have already been mentioned".

 

[constantinusphilo]

Yes, right. This is not the same use of should as in the example in the other post about twilight.


Yes, I agree it's very similar to would. It's characteristic of British English to use should rather than would here, which I suppose might make it sound rather old-fashioned to American ears.

This use of should is particularly common I'd say in subordinate that-clauses, of the pattern: It + BE + [adjective] + that-clause

In Michael Swan's PEU entry on this, he says that it expresses "personal judgements and reactions, especially to facts which are already known or have already been mentioned".

I do not think that should and would are interchangeable in this kind of sentences. For instance, it is correct to say: 'I was surprised that she should have behaved thus', but would would be incorrect here .

 

[GoesStation]

I do not think that should and would are interchangeable in this kind of sentences. For instance, it is correct to say: 'I was surprised that she should have behaved thus', but would would be incorrect here .

It works fine for me either way.

 

[emsr2d2]

Here is another instance of this 'should' from the same author, Paul Bowles (The sheltering Sky):

"At the same time, it was inevitable that she should regard the dream as an omen."

Please note how your post should have looked. Leave an empty line on either side of a quote, and enclose the quote in quotation marks.

 

[jutfrank]

I do not think that should and would are interchangeable in this kind of sentences. For instance, it is correct to say: 'I was surprised that she should have behaved thus', but would would be incorrect here .

Can you explain your reasons for this, please?

 

[constantinusphilo]

Can you explain your reasons for this, please?

It's because would is conditional while should is subjunctive (and conditional for the first person).

 

[jutfrank]

It's because would is conditional

I don't think that's right. Do you mean that in I was surprised that she would have behaved thus, there is a sense of conditionality? What exactly is conditional?

 

[constantinusphilo]

I don't think that's right. Do you mean that in I was surprised that she would have behaved thus, there is a sense of conditionality? What exactly is conditional?

I think that the sentence I was surprised that she would have behaved thus is either grammatically incorrect, or 'would' here signifies a verb of volition, that is, I am surprised at her having wanted to behave like that. Still, I am not sure if would is correct here, though it may be uses erroneously by the people.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I think that the sentence I was surprised that she would have behaved thus is either grammatically incorrect,

It's grammatical formal speech.

or 'would' here signifies a verb of volition, that is, I am surprised at her having wanted to behave like that.

It's not saying that she would want to do it. It's that she would do it.

Still, I am not sure if would is correct here,

It's fine.

though it may be used erroneously by some people.

All words are used erroneously sometimes.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I do not think that should and would are interchangeable in this kind of sentences. For instance, it is correct to say: 'I was surprised that she should have behaved thus', but would would be incorrect here .

You might be thinking of should in the sense of ought to or is obliged to or is expected to.

That's not how it's being used there.