should have incurred

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "should have incurred" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to express an expectation or obligation regarding expenses or liabilities that were anticipated but not realized. Example: "The company should have incurred fewer costs this quarter, but unexpected expenses arose."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

It should have incurred a loss of €429 million.

The New York Times

John Hoskin, founder of online accountants Cleveraccounts.com says: "The sales figure is all the sales you have made for which the customer has received the goods or services, even if your customer has not paid the bill yet, and your costs will include all the amounts you should have incurred in the period, even if you've not physically paid for them yet.

The Guardian

This should have incurred a two-shot penalty and thus disqualification for signing an incorrect scorecard but the disqualification was waived.

BBC

Woods said his second-round drop at the 15th was taken "two yards away" from the original position, which should have incurred a two-stroke penalty in addition to the bogey he carded.

BBC

I enjoyed using it, and I found it relatively easy to keep my journeys under 30 minutes, so I should have incurred no more than £3 for the three days.

BBC

She said she should have incurred at most just one $33 fee.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

"The majority of the data sessions involved minor data exchanges caused by software built into their phones; others involved accessing the Web, which should not have incurred charges.

The New York Times - Tech

The appeals court drew a distinction between the Erisa remedy, which it said was limited to reimbursing patients for expenses that under managed-care contracts they should not have incurred, and the damages available under the Texas law for negligence.

The New York Times

The only difference is that most of it is wasted on bloated government, corruption and the servicing of debts that it should never have incurred in the first place.

Forbes

The families of victims of sexual crime should dwell less on the shame they feel they have incurred and more on how to prosecute offenders.

The Economist

FOR years, Internet companies have incurred jokes about how their Web sites should be classified as dot-org rather than dot-com, given how closely their balance sheets resembled those of nonprofit organizations.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "should have incurred" to express that a cost, penalty, or consequence was expected or logically necessary based on a past situation or action. It implies a sense of obligation or expectation that was not met.

Common error

Avoid using "should have incurred" when simply stating a past cost. It is specifically for situations where there was an expectation or obligation that the cost should have been present. Use simple past tense for factual statements of expenses that were already paid.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "should have incurred" functions as a modal verb phrase indicating an expectation, obligation, or logical necessity regarding past expenses or liabilities. As per Ludwig, this phrase is correct and usable in written English. It suggests that a specific cost should have been present based on circumstances.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

57%

Science

29%

Formal & Business

14%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "should have incurred" is a modal verb construction used to express an expectation or obligation regarding past expenses or liabilities. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is grammatically correct and usable, primarily appearing in news and media contexts. The phrase implies that a cost, penalty, or consequence was anticipated, and its absence or deviation warrants attention. While "should have incurred" is suitable for neutral and professional communications, remember to use it when you're talking about the fact that an expense should have occurred, not expenses that happened in the past. For alternative phrasings, consider "ought to have borne" or "was expected to accrue", depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

should have borne

Replaces "incurred" with a more formal alternative.

should have sustained

Replaces "incurred" with "sustained," emphasizing the enduring nature of the cost.

were supposed to bear

Emphasizes the expectation of bearing costs, using a less formal tone.

ought to have borne

Replaces "should" with a more formal alternative, and "incurred" with a synonym indicating bearing or carrying a cost.

should have been charged

Focuses on the obligation of a charge being applied, rather than just the incurrence.

was expected to accrue

Shifts the focus to expectation and accumulation of costs over time.

were anticipated to accumulate

Highlights the anticipation of gradual accumulation of costs.

were liable to sustain

Indicates a potential for suffering or experiencing a loss or expense.

were meant to register

Changes the context to a recording or registering of costs in a system.

should have seen

Focuses on understanding the potential results of a decision, which is a bit different in meaning.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "should have incurred"?

You can use alternatives like "ought to have borne", "was expected to accrue", or "should have sustained depending on the context.

What does "should have incurred" imply about an expense?

It implies that an expense was expected or obligated to occur, based on past circumstances, but may not have actually happened.

Is "should have incurred" formal or informal?

It is generally considered neutral in tone, suitable for both formal and informal contexts, although alternatives like "ought to have borne" lean towards the formal side.

When should I not use "should have incurred"?

Avoid using it when simply stating a factual past expense. Instead, use the simple past tense. "The expense was 50$" is preferable to "The expense should have incurred 50$" when talking about costs already sustained.