Otros usos de «will»/»would,» «shall»/»should»: «should/would think» + that-clause o bien «so»/»not»

[A] Will it be expensive? – I should/would think so./I should think it would. (= probably «Yes») o bien:

      I shouldn’t think it would./I shouldn’t/wouldn’t think so./

      I should/would think not. (= probably «No»)

Con este tipo de respuesta el hablante implica que verdaderamente no sabe pero que esta es su impresión. «I should/would think» denota, por lo tanto, menos confianza que «I think.»

so/not no son posibles cuando should/would think introduce un comentario, en este caso tiene que usarse una that-clause:

• He’s an astrologer, looking for work.- I shouldn’t/wouldn’t think that he’d find it easy to get work.   

[B] Si comentamos una acción pasada usamos should/would have thought:

• He actually got a job as an astrologer.- I shouldn’t/wouldn’t have thought that it was possible to do that. 

[C] should/would have expected + una construcción de infinitivo o una that-clause son también posibles. El pronombre impersonal you puede reemplazar a I:

• She has emigrated.- Has she? You’d/I’d have expected her to stay in this country.