could be vs should be

Both "could be" and "should be" are correct phrases, but they are used in different contexts. "Could be" is used to express possibility or uncertainty, while "should be" is used to indicate obligation, expectation, or likelihood.

Last updated: March 15, 2024 • 1117 views

could be

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to express possibility or uncertainty.

Use "could be" when you want to talk about something that is possible or uncertain. It implies a level of doubt or speculation.

Examples:

It could be raining outside.
The package could be delivered tomorrow.
She could be at home by now.
The answer could be in the back of the book.
The noise could be coming from the basement.

Show examples from the web [+]

This could be a janitor who got fired a year ago, could be one of your agents... could be you.
It could be 1927, and your name could be Ruth Bixby, yours could be May Smith.
Instruction concerning surveillance, monitoring and reporting could be distributed to growers purchasing genetically modified seed stocks and contractual agreements could be formulated as a condition of sale or use.
It could be a phone number, it could be an e-mail address, it could be a postal address.
It could be the flu, it could be appendicitis.
Her research apparently shows that there could be DNA samples inside dinosaur fossils that could be extracted and it could be used to actually recreate one or more dinosaurs, to actually give us a real Jurassic Park.
The randomness could be orchestrated or it could be simple opportunity.
It could be them, it could be Hollings...
This guy could be anyone, he could be...
Like 34 could be three-four... 92 could be nine-two.
But anyone could be accused, anyone could be next.
This could be the Statue of Liber... this could be golden gate bridge.
The teapot could be full, it could be empty.
It could be at one dollar; it could be 1,000 dollars.
They could be communist, they could be liberal, they could be fascist or Islamic.
You could be American-Italian; you could be American-Irish; you could be British-Pakistani.
The use of the disjunctive conjunction 'or' could be misleading, since it could be mistakenly understood as meaning that the BCD could be omitted, although it is indispensable in any domestic or export trade.
It could be an actual lamb, I-it could be an innocent of some kind, but I think that could be his next kill.
If you took the idea of fractal technology further, take a membrane, shrinking it down constantly like nature does - that could be a seat for a chair; it could be a sole for a sports shoe; it could be a car blending into seats.
It could be the Biblical flood of Noah, it could be Zeus' deluge, it could be similar sorts of giant watery disasters that we see figuring in a wide number of different cultures around the world.

Alternatives:

might be
may be
possibly is
is potentially
is likely

should be

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate obligation, expectation, or likelihood.

Use "should be" when you want to express that something is the right or expected thing to do, or when you want to indicate likelihood or probability.