Difference between 'Do' and 'Should' when used in a question

Question

Could someone explain the differences between 'should' and 'do', I don't understand the difference between the following question 'Who do we talk to?' vs 'Who should we talk to?'

Answer 1

'Should' is used in a question to ask the correct or best thing to do. 'Do' is commonly used in place of this modal verb. In your examples, there isn't any real difference in meaning.

The difference is more noticeable in information-seeking or interrogative questions rather than advice-seeking or directive questions like your examples.

Consider the question "what do you do?", which idiomatically means what do you do as a job, or in certain contexts, what action do you normally take. You would expect one, definitive answer. But the question "what should you do? is asking what the person thinks is the best or correct course of action and by nature implies that there are other options.

So, in certain contexts, "do" is used to enquire of the only correct answer while "should" invites an opinion on which option is the best. Arguably, this inference could come over in directive questions like yours, but if there is any subtly inferred difference most listeners would not consider it.