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Meaning of should here
Message from englishlove posted on 07-07-2011 at 13:31:48 (D | E | F)
Hello,
hope you all are in good health. While I was running through some pages of a grammar book, I found this sentence:
She tiptoed lest her mother should hear her.
Now before "lest" everything is well understood but could you please make me understand why this should is being used here specifically.
I just need to know what is the sense behind this word in this specific sentence.
I would deeply appreciate your help. With respect and regards to all
yours sincerely,
Englishlove
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Edited by lucile83 on 07-07-2011 13:48
Message from englishlove posted on 07-07-2011 at 13:31:48 (D | E | F)
Hello,
hope you all are in good health. While I was running through some pages of a grammar book, I found this sentence:
She tiptoed lest her mother should hear her.
Now before "lest" everything is well understood but could you please make me understand why this should is being used here specifically.
I just need to know what is the sense behind this word in this specific sentence.
I would deeply appreciate your help. With respect and regards to all
yours sincerely,
Englishlove
-------------------
Edited by lucile83 on 07-07-2011 13:48
Re: Meaning of should here from headway, posted on 07-07-2011 at 13:49:04 (D | E)
Hello,
Lien Internet
Lien Internet
Lien Internet
Hope this helps.
Headway.
Re: Meaning of should here from may, posted on 11-07-2011 at 03:17:11 (D | E)
Hello,
Now before "lest" everything is well understood but could you please make me understand why this should is being used here specifically.
I just need to know what is the sense behind this word in this specific sentence:
She tiptoed lest her mother should hear her.
I would say the sentence is good as well without auxiliary Should. However, Should implies an expected thing that might happen, I guess!
What do you think?
Re: Meaning of should here from gnougnou70, posted on 20-07-2011 at 15:14:12 (D | E)
Hello,
Lest's a literary form which means in fear.
Gnougnou70
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Edited by lucile83 on 20-07-2011 16:43
Re: Meaning of should here from gibigibigibi, posted on 24-07-2011 at 18:06:52 (D | E)
Hello, I agree with may,
but I think, it can be 'unless'
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Edited by lucile83 on 24-07-2011 20:15
Sorry, you are wrong.
Re: Meaning of should here from violet91, posted on 24-07-2011 at 18:59:43 (D | E)
Hello,
Less that = lest = in fear that...
Because of the possibility of something undesirable happening.Should : look for the concordance between tenses and modes.
Re: Meaning of should here from stuart99, posted on 25-07-2011 at 15:39:44 (D | E)
"violet91" is correct in my opinion. "lest" is a somewhat archaic word and has more or less fallen into desuetude ("desuetude" is, itself, another somewhat archaic word, but I like to use it because it was used by my late, sorely missed, aunt and by one of my favourite authors, Edith Wharton, who also used the word "promiscuous" in its original meaning.
True, language constantly evolves. The English language is no exception. Many people, if not most, think that the word "promiscuous" has something to do with sexual mores and practices as in "sexually promiscuous behaviour". If that is how most people use the word then it can be argued that that, then, is indeed its meaning. However, the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary of 1970 gives the first definition as "consisting of members or elements of different kinds massed together without order"; "of mixed or disorderly composition or character"; "without discrimination or method". The latter is certainly the way Edith used it.
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