No. 16,752 in Russian
следовало
"Следовало" means "it was necessary" or "ought to have."
In a sentence
Следовало завершить проект раньше.
The project should have been completed earlier.
Here, 'следовало' expresses the idea of an action that should have been done in the past, indicating necessity or obligation.
Следовало бы лучше подготовиться к экзамену.
It would have been better to prepare better for the exam.
In this sentence, 'следовало бы' is used to express a hypothetical suggestion or better alternative action retrospectively.
Если бы я знал, мне следовало отменить встречу.
If I had known, I should have canceled the meeting.
This usage indicates realization of a missed obligation or necessity in hindsight.
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