sum up sth In these few words Churchill summed up the feelings of the whole nation.
summing - summed - have summed
shorter form of their real name.- His name's Moses - Mo for short. I They are chlorofluorocarbon gases, or CFCs for short.
in short 'n Jo:rt/ formal use this when you have been writing or talking about something, and you want to say in a few words what the most important fact or idea is: In short, I believe that we need to change our whole attitude towards cars.
Only use in short in formal written or formal spoken English.
/tb Don't say 'you should to go'. Say you should go. Should Is followed by an infinitive without 'to'.
to make something shorter
shorten "b:rm \v T) to make something shorter: Could you shorten the sleeves for me?
shorten sth to sth The three-year course has been shortened to two years I Diana's name is often shortened to Di.
CUt клГ [и T] to make a film or piece of writing shorter by removing parts from it: Even after it had been cut, the film was still over three hours long. cut sth down This last paragraph is too long - you'll have to cut it down.
Use cut something down only about pieces of writing.
cutting - cut - have cut
A
SHOULD
see also must, deserve
when you should do something because it is right and it is your duty
should jod/ [modal verb] if you should do something, it is your duty to do it. or it is the best thing to do because it is right, fair, or honest: / don't want to go to the meeting but ! suppose I should, should do sth I think you should tell her the truth. I He should visit his parents more often. I All accidents should be reported to the Health and Safety Officer. ) Should we contact Joe's parents nnd te/Z them luhafs happened9 should not/shouldn't do sth You shouldn t leave young children at home alone.
should have done sth (=it was the right thing to do, but someone did not do it) They should have given you your money back.
shouldn't have done sth (=it was the wrong thing to do, but someone did it) I'm sorry, I shouldn't have shouted at you.
Should is often used in instructions: Students should register for courses before September 30th.
ought to do sth \o:t te 'du: (sth)/ use this to say that someone should do something because it is right or it is the best thing to do in a situation: I think you were very rude and you ought to apologize. I Do you think we ought to get permission before we do this? I The Government ought to spend more on education. ought not/oughtn't to do sth J think that animals have rights, and we ought not to use them for experiments. ought to have done sth (=it was the right thing to do, but someone did not do it) It was a serious matter. They ought to have called the police.
ZjK Ought to is less common than should in written and spoken English.
Qhad better do sth /had betor du: (sth) especially spoken use this to say that you think someone should do something because it would be the correct, polite, or fair thing to do: You had better phone Alan and tell him you're going to be late. I If anyone wants to borrow the car they'd better as к Dad first. had better not do sth We'd better not tell anyone about this just yet,
Don't say 'we better gc' or 'we'd better to go'. Saywe'd better go
be supposed to do sth hi: sa.paozd
is du: (sth) use this to say that someone should do something because there is a rule that says they should, because they have been told to do it, or because it is part of their job: You're supposed to knock before you come in. I Put that cigarette out! You're not supposed to smoke in here I I was totally confused, and had no idea what / was supposed to
do next.
it is sb's job to do sth a iz (shs)
A
,d3ob t3 du: (sth)|-,d5aib-/ use this to say that someone is responsible for doingsomething, because it is officially part of their job. or because they have agreed to do it: It's my job to check that the equipment is in good working order. I / thought we'd agreed it was Mike's job to send out all the invitations.
Chit's up to sb to do sth its лр ui
(sbi to du: (sth) spoken say this to emphasize that a particular person is responsible fordoing something: It's up to parents to teach their children the difference between righi and wrong.
it is sb's duty to do sth n и (sbs)
djuiti tp 'du: (sthjU^duiti-/ i ormal use this to say that someone should do something because it is their legal or moral duty: It is the judge's duty to give a fair summary of both sides of the case.
E when you should do something because it is sensible or it is good for you
should Jod/ [modal verb) if you should do something, it is the best thing to do because it is good for you or it will help you: Everyone keeps telling me I should give up smoking. I You shou/d go to bed early if you're feeling tired. should not/shouldn't do sth They shouldn't worry so much. Everything will be all right.
should have done sth (=it was the best thing to do, but someone did not do it) Yes. / know. I should have spent more
time studying.
shouldn't hflve done sth (=it was not a sensible thing to do but someone did it) We shouldn't have bought such a big car.
Don't say 'you should to go'. Say you should go. Should is followed by an infinitive without 'to'.
ought to do sth ..at t.Vdu:(sth)/use this
to say that you think someone should do something because it is good for them or will help them- The doctor told Dan he ought to exercise more. I You ought to ask Eric. I'm sure he'd be happy to help. ought not to do sth/oughtn't to do sth She oughtn't to drive if she s been drinking.
A Ought to is less common than should in written and spoken English.
Qhad better do sth had ,beter du:
(sth) especially spoken use this to say that you think someone should do something because it is sensible or it will help them avoid problems: You'd better ask your teacher for advice. I It was starting to snow and we thought we had better go home