should be having

USAGE SUMMARY

The part of the sentence "should be having" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when talking about things that are expected to happen in the present or future. For example: "We should be having our lunch break by now."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

That we should be having a conversation?

The New York Times

Kathy: None of us should be having kids.

Stanford University

But there are productive interactions that we should be having.

Cornell University

"That's the conversation we should be having," Ms. Coffey said.

The New York Times

Of course you should be having fun, the officer said.

The New York Times

That we should be having all the fun.

The Guardian - Music

Certainly, that's the argument we should be having.

The Guardian - Opinion

"I should be having sex with more girls".

The New York Times - Arts

A female Olympian should be having her moment.

The Washington Post

Not to sound pretentious, but I should be having a show there.

The New Yorker

Look, we should be having a serious discussion about America's fiscal future.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "should be having" to express an expectation or recommendation about an ongoing action. For example, "We should be having a team meeting this week."

Common error

Avoid using "should be having" to refer to actions that are already completed. Instead, use "should have had". For example, instead of saying "We should be having the meeting yesterday", say "We should have had the meeting yesterday".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "should be having" functions as a modal verb construction indicating expectation, recommendation, or advisability regarding an ongoing or future action. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage in expressing these nuances.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

68%

Academia

18%

Formal & Business

14%

Less common in

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "should be having" is a versatile and frequently used modal construction that expresses expectation, recommendation, or advisability. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically sound and appropriate for expressing ongoing or future actions. Its neutral register and high frequency across news media, academic, and business contexts make it a valuable tool in various forms of communication. While very common, it's important to remember that you can always use alternative phrases such as "ought to be having" or "are supposed to be having" to convey similar meanings with slightly different nuances.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

ought to be having

Replaces "should" with "ought to", expressing a similar sense of obligation or expectation.

are supposed to be having

Emphasizes an expectation or agreement.

are expected to be having

Highlights an external expectation.

need to be having

Indicates necessity rather than advisability.

must be having

Expresses a stronger sense of necessity or certainty.

would be advisable to have

More formal and emphasizes the advisability of something.

it would be good to have

Suggests a beneficial outcome from having something.

it is recommended to have

Formal recommendation instead of a suggestion.

it's important to have

Highlights the importance of possessing or experiencing something.

it's crucial to have

Emphasizes the critical nature of having something.

FAQs

How do I use "should be having" in a sentence?

Use "should be having" to express an expectation or recommendation about something that ought to be happening now or in the near future. For example, "They should be having dinner now".

What can I say instead of "should be having"?

You can use alternatives like "ought to be having", "are supposed to be having", or "need to be having" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "should be having" or "should have"?

"Should be having" indicates an ongoing or future action, while "should have" indicates an action that should have happened in the past. For example, "We should be having a meeting now" (ongoing) vs. "We should have had a meeting yesterday" (past).

What's the difference between "should be having" and "should have been having"?

"Should be having" refers to something that is expected to be happening now. "Should have been having" refers to something that was expected to be happening at a point in the past, but likely did not occur.