XPost: rec.arts.books.tolkien   
   From: jcb@inf.ed.ac.uk   
      
   On 2019-11-16, Barry Schwarz  wrote:   
   > On Sat, 16 Nov 2019 14:40:47 +0000 (UTC), Julian Bradfield   
   > wrote:   
      
   >>The use of "should" vs "would" is merely the conjugation:   
   >>I/we shall/should, you/he/she/it/they will/would   
   >   
   > I always thought "should" carried with it a sense of obligation while   
   > "would" was more of a desire.   
      
   That's also true. The use of shall/will and should/would is enormously   
   variable over time and space. However, the use of shall/should as the   
   first person of will/would was Standard English in Tolkien's day, and   
   for more conservative speakers (such as myself) it still is to some extent.   
   Whether "should" carries obligation depends on context and stress.   
      
   "I should like to" is pretty much a fixed idiom in any case. Similarly   
   for all other politeness uses, such as "I should be grateful if you   
   would".   
      
   But I can also say, "As an immigrant to Scotland, I *should* like   
   haggis." Stress on the "should" means it has the obligation sense.   
      
   For pure conditionality, I no longer use "should". For example, "I   
   would eat haggis, if it weren't so heavily spiced."   
   Looking through Letters, Tolkien varies between "I should" and "I   
   would". Apart from set politeness phrases (like "I should like to"),   
   I get the impression he uses "would" more with friends and family, and   
   "should" more in formal letters. But I haven't done any stats.   
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)