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In these contexts, I don't know how to ask a question to emphasize a fact. What tense or modal verb should I use( instead of ---marks)?

1)He is the son of a millionaire. He doesn't have to work. Why -- he work? (I want to say there's no good reason for him to work)

2)I have studied English for years and I'm going to take the TOEFL test. I have no reason to be worried about the test. Why--- be worried about it?

3) My girlfriend has cheated on me several times. I'm going to break up with her. Why ---I trust her again?(I want to say it's absurd to trust her again. I have no good reason to trust her again)

Thanks

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  • You don't know how to ask, not who to ask. In the spirit of the question as asked, Why w I trust her again?
    – TimR
    Commented Nov 19, 2016 at 12:59
  • @OmidKy These questions are called "rhetorical questions" - there's a tag for them if you'd like to add it.
    – John Feltz
    Commented Nov 19, 2016 at 13:10

1 Answer 1

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You're looking for the two modal verbs would or should.

  1. He is the son of a millionaire. He doesn't have to work. Why should/would he work? (I want to say there's no good reason for him to work)

  2. I have studied English for years and I'm going to take the TOEFL test. I have no reason to be worried about the test. Why should/would I be worried about it?

  3. My girlfriend has cheated on me several times. I'm going to break up with her. Why should/would I trust her again?

Both are equally valid in these contexts, and the choice is up to your style.

In these contexts, should is the conditional auxiliary form of shall, and would is the conditional auxiliary form of will. There are other contexts where should is more correct than would, and vice versa, but in these cases they are both equally correct.

That being said, should is more commonly used in these contexts when we are heeding or expecting advice, or a sense of responsibility is commanded, whereas would is more commonly used to refer to would for unlikely or unreal premises.

FYI: the conditional auxiliary verbs, should, could and would, are correct in the first, second, third, singular and plural forms (I, you, he/she/it, you (plural), we (plural), they (plural))

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