Etymology: Middle English sholde, from Old English sceolde, scolde; akin to Old High German scolta owed, was obliged to, had to, Old Norse skylda had to, Gothic skulda owed, was obliged to, had to — more at shall
past of shall
1. — used in auxiliary function to express condition
if he should call, I'm out
for if he should leave his father, his father would die — Gen 44:22 (Revised Standard Version)
if I should die, think only this of me — Rupert Brooke
should Naples be captured … we shall have a first-rate port — Sir Winston Churchill
as if the atom bomb should find a benevolent use — Herbert Kupferberg
I should not allow anyone to inconvenience me if I could hinder it — Emily Brontë
they can very easily be ennobled should they wish it — Nancy Mitford
2. — used in auxiliary function to express duty, obligation, necessity, propriety, or expediency
for 'tis commanded I should do so — Shakespeare
but now he is dead, why should I fast — 2 Sam 12:23 (Revised Standard Version)
the law was then passed … that every senator should take an oath — J.A.Froude
in such cases the officer should first give notice to those in the house — Paul Wilson
and this is as it should be — H.L.Savage
was determined that his son should have a good education
you should brush your teeth after each meal
3. — used in auxiliary function to express futurity from a point of view in the past
she realized that she should have to do most of her farm work before sunrise — Ellen Glasgow
had expected that he should be able to press forward — T.B.Macaulay
4. archaic : might , could
may have wondered what this present distress should mean — John Keble
5. — used in auxiliary function to express what is probable or expected
this year's treasury deficit should be $6 billion or more — T.R.Ybarra
effects of the trends cited above should not be felt … for another decade — A.W.Griswold
it should be child's play for the three of us — John Buchan
recordings which should confuse even the most ingenuous listener — Robert Evett
with an early start, they should be here by noon
6. — used in auxiliary function to express a desire or request in a polite or unemphatic manner or to tone down a direct or blunt statement
one aspect of his critical work to which I should like to call attention — Malcolm Cowley
I should suggest that a guide to available materials is the first essential — L.D.Reddick
should you wish to look at it — O.Henry
in general I should say that the salaries … make up very nearly two thirds of the budget — Deems Taylor
Synonyms: see ought