Re: [Lingo] Usage of "should"

[Josh Glover <jmglov@example.com>]

On Thursday, May 31, 2012, Nava Whiteford  wrote:
> > Interesting. I have both used "should" this way and heard it used this
>
> > way quite often. Then again, I don't live in the US.
> >
> > This version of "should" has a useful nuance that "if" just doesn't carry.
>
> I've heard it used this way in the UK quite a lot, but in slightly more formal situations.

Hrm, this gives me a clue as to why I use/hear it often: I'm a software engineer, and at work, use much more precise language than I would at home. This means that nuance is more important.

The interesting question that this thread raises is whether my colleagues, the majority of whom are not native speakers of English, understand the nuance that I'm communicating. The fact that they correctly use "should" in the same context could mean they do, but it could also mean that they are just aping the native speakers.

--Josh

-- 
Cheers,
Josh