Should not be

[oxford2011]

I need to know that if somebody has done something wrong in the past. So can I say " he should not be doing this" I hope it made sense.

 

[bhaisahab]

I need to know that if somebody has done something wrong in the past. So can I say " he should not be doing this" I hope it made sense.

If it was in the past, say, "He should not have done..." If he is doing it now, "He should not be doing..." is correct.

 

[oxford2011]

Could you please tell me the difference between following
"he should not do this" and "he should be doing this" are they both same? I mean can I use both of them in present tense.

 

[oxford2011]

Sorry the sentences are "he should not do this" and "he should not be doing this"

 

[5jj]

"He should not be doing that" suggests that 'he' is is doing whatever 'this' is around or at the moment of speaking. "He should not do that' is not so limited; it can refer to more regular, repested actions.

However, the difference is not always clear-cut.

 

[oxford2011]

Please could you expand on your respose I need to know can I use both in present tense?

 

[bhaisahab]

Please could you expand on your respose I need to know can I use both in present tense?

"He should not do..." and "He should not be doing..." are both present tense. As fivejedjon said they can have a slightly different meaning, but the difference is not always very clear.

 

[Raymott]

Sorry the sentences are "he should not do this" and "he should not be doing this"

If somebody is stealing from a shop, now, you say, "He should not be doing this". Because he is doing it now.

If somebody steals from a shop every day, but is not doing it right now, you say, "He should not do this." You're saying he should not perform this habitual action. (You know we use the simple present tense for a habitual action.)

That is only an example. The usage is not as clear-cut as I've stated it - as 5jj said.

 

[oxford2011]

Thanks to everybody

 

[oxford2011]

can I use the following sentence in future tense "he should not be doing this"

 

[5jj]

can I use the following sentence [STRIKE]in future tense[/STRIKE]to refer to future time: "he should not be doing this"?

It might appear so:

A: John will be seeing that woman again tomorrow.
B: He should not be doing this.

However, I feel that the most natural interpretation of B's response is "He should not regularly do what he is going to do again tomorrow".

Perhaps this is a more appropriate example:

A: John is dismissing Bert tomorrow.
B: He shouldn't be doing that.

I am not sure if that is very natural. What do others think?

 

[bhaisahab]

can I use the following sentence in future tense "he should not be doing this"

No, you can use "He should not do something" with a future meaning.

 

[5jj]

No, you can use "He should not do something" with a future meaning.

I see you wrote that while I was writing my last post. What do you think about my final example?

 

[bhaisahab]

I see you wrote that while I was writing my last post. What do you think about my final example?

I would say "He shouldn't do that". I could accept "He shouldn't be doing that tomorrow, he should do it on Monday", for example. Although, even in that situation I would prefer "He shouldn't do that tomorrow". In India the version with "be doing" is very common, but it doesn't sound right to me.

 

[5jj]

I would say "He shouldn't do that". I could accept "He shouldn't be doing that tomorrow, he should do it on Monday", for example. Although, even in that situation I would prefer "He shouldn't do that tomorrow". In India the version with "be doing" is very common, but it doesn't sound right to me.

Thanks.:up:

Since my last post I have been discussing this with a colleague. She came up with:

A: What are you doing tomorrow?
B: Well, I should be looking after my grandson, but I think I'll say I'm sick, and...

A: What will you be doing this time next week?
B: If all goes to plan, I should be lying on a beach in ...

I admit that we had to think hard to come up with these examples, and that most of us can go through our entire lives without ever using a 'should be verb+ing' construction with future reference. However, I feel that the answer to the question "Can we use this with future reference" must be a qualified "yes".