Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2004

Hello, everyone:

Happy New Year!

Would appreciate any pointers on this "should"-related usage:

---
I'm sorry you SHOULD have been here so long without our knowing it.

[Portrait of a Lady, by Henry James; Chapter 2, p. 2]
---

Now, this was written in 1881 by an American writer with a fine feel
for both the American and British English, as far as I know. The
speaking character here (Ralph Touchett) is an American living for
many years in Britain, thus he might have used both ...


What I would like to know:

1. Wrt British English usage:

- Is this SHOULD-centered construction still used in British English?
It seems so, according to Swan, Practical English Usage, p. 518,
section 497 on should (4) in subordinate clauses where he says:

--------
In formal British English, **should** can be used in that-clauses
after adjectives and nouns expressing the importance of an action
(e.g. important, vital, eager, anxious, concerned, wish).

'It's important that she should talk to me when she gets here'
'I'm anxious that nobody should be hurt'
--------

Now "being sorry about" isn't exactly expressing the importance of an
action, but I feel the usage should be similar, perhaps as "anxious"
and "sorry" have somewhat related conotations, and especially this
being in effect similar to Swan's examples as a subordinate clause
after "that".
 
Also for British usage, what would be some formal and less formal
contemporary equivalents?

2. Wrt American English usage

Swan mentions in the same section that:

--------
"in American English this use of **should** is unusual; subjunctives
may be used

'It's important that she **talk** to me when she gets here'"
--------
which does not quite fit here, as

'I'm sorry you be here so long without our knowing it.'
with the "be" subjunctive does not seem to sound right.

To my mind:

'I'm sorry you've been here so long without our knowing it.'

should in this day do it in both British and American English, but I
am a native of neither:-), thus I would appreciate your comments.

Also, for both usages, under which circumstances would **would** be
recommended/allowed as a substitute for **should** in this example.  

Thank you very much,
Marius Hancu

P.S. It's quite possible that I looked into the wrong section in
Swan. Any suggestions would be appreciated.