should do nothing vs should not do anything

Both "should do nothing" and "should not do anything" are correct and commonly used phrases in English. They convey the same meaning of not taking any action or refraining from doing something. The choice between the two phrases depends on personal preference or the specific context in which they are used.

Last updated: March 15, 2024 • 10494 views

should do nothing

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate that no action should be taken.

This phrase is used to express the idea that it is advisable or appropriate to refrain from taking any action in a particular situation.

Examples:

In this case, you should do nothing and wait for further instructions.
Sometimes, the best course of action is to simply should do nothing.

Show examples from the web [+]

Oct 29, 2014 ... Lame-duck Congress should do nothing. By Christine Harbin Hanson. 0 Comments. Government often grows during lame duck sessions.
So the Fed should do nothing. Almost anytime governments do nothing it is better than when governments do something. Now is definitely such a time.
Dec 18, 2014 ... I believe that the U.S. should do nothing more in response to this situation than they already have: naming North Korea clearly as being behind ...
Why You Should do Nothing for 10 Minutes a Day. Aug 25, 2014 by Personal Branding Blog In Management 8. 44. Shares.

Alternatives:

should refrain from doing anything
should avoid taking any action

should not do anything

This phrase is also correct and commonly used in English to convey the idea of refraining from taking any action.

This phrase is used to suggest that it is better not to engage in any activity or action in a given situation.

Examples:

To avoid making the situation worse, you should not do anything at the moment.
It's a delicate situation, so you should not do anything until we have more information.

Show examples from the web [+]

And you should not do anything with contention or empty glory, but in humility of mind, let every person esteem his neighbor as better than himself.
Aug 24, 2012 ... While recovering from a concussion the person should not do anything to increase his or her heart rate unless they have been cleared by their ...
Jan 29, 2015 ... Related: clicking on the background behind an alert or confirmation dialog should not do anything. @marcysutton marcysutton added bug aria ...
You should not do anything that you think will put someone in danger. – If you are worried about a situation which might put someone at risk, you should speak ...

Alternatives:

should avoid doing anything
should refrain from taking any action

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should do nothing vs should not do anything