should have targeted

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "should have targeted" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing a past action that was expected or desired but not accomplished, often in the context of strategy or focus. Example: "The marketing team should have targeted a younger audience to increase engagement."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

Secondly, Chung said, the league should have targeted soccer dads, a strategy used by organizers of the hugely successful 1999 Women's World Cup.

The New York Times - Sports

The view that I take is that we should have targeted tax cuts including, by the way, with respect to addressing a number of the factors with regard to the marriage penalty.

The New York Times

John Olson, chief executive, Graystone Industries, a pond and fountain supply business: "The partners should have targeted midsize accounts, handling larger orders when they arose and smaller ones to fill gaps.

The New York Times

The council has been taken aback by the force of that opposition, and residents have surprised even themselves by the vigour and effectiveness of their protests.Walking through Scotswood, it is, at first sight, easy to see why the council should have targeted the area for demolition and regeneration.

The Economist

Flores repeatedly says, "That's not right," and asks the officer why he's taking the vendor's "hard-earned money". Flores claims that people were drinking in public not that far away, and that officers should have targeted them instead.

Los Angeles Times

Hence, high-risk HBV-infected subjects should have targeted monitoring for the development of CKD.

BMC Nephrology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

You should have target in view.

The New Yorker

The promotion should also have targeted the husband to give him, preferably in the presence of his wife, a sense of obligation to provide an automatic washer for her even before he bought an automobile for himself.

Harvard Business Review

A day after the Orlando shooting, he made headlines after claiming that his son shouldn't have targeted the LGBT community at Pulse because "God himself will punish" them, The Washington Post reported. .

Huffington Post

We should also have targeted a given patient sample size for each participating physician and not for each clinic, to ensure recruitment of patients seen by a diversity of physicians.

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

During the evaluation it became clear that that facility managers were a key cadre of health worker that should have been targeted with more direct communication on the new PHC strategy.

BMC Health Services Research

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "should have targeted", be specific about why the alternative target would have been more effective. Provide context and reasoning to strengthen your argument.

Common error

Avoid using "should have targeted" as a blanket statement. Always provide concrete evidence or logical reasoning to support your claim; otherwise, it comes across as unsubstantiated criticism.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "should have targeted" functions as a modal verb phrase expressing criticism or regret about a past decision. According to Ludwig AI, it suggests that a different course of action, specifically focusing on a different target, would have been more beneficial. The phrase indicates a missed opportunity or a suboptimal strategy.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

43%

Science

43%

Formal & Business

14%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "should have targeted" is a grammatically correct modal verb phrase used to express a retrospective critique or suggestion about a past decision. According to Ludwig AI, it communicates that a different target or focus would have been more beneficial. It appears most frequently in News & Media and Science contexts, indicating a neutral to professional register. Alternatives include "ought to have focused on" and "could have aimed at". When using this phrase, it's important to provide clear justification for the suggested alternative target to avoid vagueness or unsubstantiated criticism.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

ought to have focused on

Replaces "should" with "ought to", indicating a moral obligation or advisability, and substitutes "targeted" with "focused on", suggesting a concentration of effort.

could have aimed at

Replaces "should" with "could", indicating possibility, and substitutes "targeted" with "aimed at", focusing on direction.

might have concentrated on

Replaces "should" with "might", indicating a lower probability, and substitutes "targeted" with "concentrated on", implying a deeper focus.

they missed an opportunity to target

Directly states the missed opportunity.

it would have been better to target

Restructures the sentence to emphasize the improvement that would have resulted from targeting.

a better strategy would have been to target

Highlights the strategic aspect of targeting, suggesting a more effective approach.

it was a mistake not to target

Emphasizes the error in not targeting.

they failed to target

Simple and direct way to point out what was not targeted.

the ideal target would have been

Shifts the focus to identifying the perfect target in hindsight.

targeting X would have been a better choice

Specifies that targeting a particular subject would have been superior.

FAQs

How do I use "should have targeted" in a sentence?

Use "should have targeted" to express that a different focus or aim in the past would have yielded better results. For example, "The campaign /s/should+have+targeted younger voters".

What can I say instead of "should have targeted"?

You can use alternatives like "ought to have focused on", "could have aimed at", or "might have concentrated on" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

What is the difference between "should have targeted" and "could have targeted"?

"Should have targeted" implies a stronger sense of obligation or advisability, suggesting that a specific target was the correct choice. "Could have targeted" simply indicates a possibility or option that was available.

Is "should have targeted" formal or informal?

"Should have targeted" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts, although the surrounding language and context will influence the overall tone. It's commonly found in news articles, academic papers, and business reports.