Could Have, Would Have, and Should Have

Could Have, Would Have, and Should Have

From VOA Learning English, this is Everyday Grammar.

Today we will take a look at the modal verbs could have, would have and should have. These past tense modals are useful for expressing your present feelings about a past decision (or other action).

Could have, would have, and should have are sometimes called “modals of lost opportunities.” They work like a grammatical time machine. The simple past just tells what happened. Past modals tell what could have, would have, and should have happened.

To form these past modals, use could, would, or should followed by have, followed by a past participle verb. Use have for all pronouns; never use has or had to form a past modal. Here are some examples:

She could have gone to any college she wanted to.

I would have gone to the party, but I was tired.

He should have told the truth about what he saw.

Each of these modals has a slightly different meaning. We’ll look at each of them using examples from movies and popular songs.

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Could have

We’ll start with could have. Could have means that something was possible in the past, but it did not happen.

I could have gone directly to college, but I decided¹ to travel for a year.

Listen to this song by 1980s teen pop star Tiffany. The singer is thinking about past possibilities with her lost love.

Could have been so beautiful

Could have been so right

Could have been my lover

Every day of my life

Native speakers often do not pronounce their past tense modals as clearly as Tiffany. Could have been usually gets contracted to could’ve been or even coulda’ been.

Listen to Marlon Brando in the classic film “On the Waterfront.” Brando’s character, Terry Malloy, was once a promising² young boxer³.

“You don’t understand. I coulda’ had class. I coulda’ been a contender. I could have been somebody—instead of a bum⁴.”

To form the negative with these modals, use not between could and have. Could not have means that something was impossible in the past. For example:

She could not have been on that flight because I just saw her at work.

Defense⁵ lawyers often use could not have to argue for a client’s innocence⁶.

A popular compliment in English is, “I couldn’t have said it better myself.” You can say this when you like the way somebody said something. It is a way to show strong agreement.

Would have

Let’s move on to would have.

Would have is a bit more difficult because it has two common structures. The first is with but. I would have A, but I had to B. Use this structure to show that you wanted to do something in the past, but you could not.

I would have called, but there was no phone service.

I would have loaned you the money, but I didn’t have any.

Would have also forms the result clause of a past unreal conditional⁷. For example:

If I had known they were vegetarians⁹, I would have made a salad.

You can always reverse conditional sentences. If would have comes first, there is no comma.

I would have made a salad if I had known they were vegetarians.

Past unreal conditionals¹⁰ are very complex; you can learn more about them on a previous episode of Everyday Grammar.

Usually, would have suggests a bad feeling about the past. But not always. In this song by the band Chicago, the singer is surprisingly happy that his ex-girlfriend cheated on him. Her infidelity gave him the opportunity to meet someone else. And that someone else turned out to be his true love.

If she would have been faithful

If she could have been true

Then I wouldn’ta been cheated

I would never know real love

I would've missed out on you

Should have

Finally, let’s look at should have. Should have means that something did not happen, but we wish it had happened. We use should have to talk about past mistakes. A worried mother might say:

“I was so worried about you. You should have called!”

Should have is common in apologies. For example:

I’m sorry that I’m late for work. I should have woken up earlier.

You might remember Lieutenant¹¹ Dan in the movie Forrest Gump. In the movie, Dan loses both of his legs in the Vietnam War. He would have died, but Forrest saved him.

Listen for should have as Dan confronts Forrest.

“You listen to me. We all have a destiny. Nothing just happens. It’s all part of a plan. I should have died out there with my men. But now I’m nothing but a cripple!”

Should have can be used in a light-hearted way. In this song, country singer Toby Keith imagines how exciting his life would be if he had chosen to be a cowboy.

I should’ve been a cowboy

I should’ve learned to rope and ride

Wearing my six-shooter

Riding my pony¹² on a cattle drive

I couldn’t have said it better myself. As you can see, these modals of lost opportunities offer a colorful way to talk about past choices.

That’s all for this week. Join us next week for more Everyday Grammar.

Words in This Story

modal verb – n. a verb (such as can, could, shall, should, ought to, will, or would) that is usually used with another verb to express ideas such as possibility, necessity, and permission

contender – n. a person who tries to win something in a game or competition

bum – n. a person who is lazy or who does something badly

compliment – n. a comment that says something good about someone or something

vegetarian⁸ – n. a person who does not eat meat

infidelity – n. the act or fact of having a romantic or sexual relationship with someone other than your husband, wife, or partner

confront – v. to oppose someone, especially in a direct and forceful way

cripple – n. a person who cannot move or walk normally because of a permanent injury or other physical problem

six-shooter – n. a kind of gun (called a revolver) that can hold six bullets (often used to describe guns used in the old American West)

cattle drive – n. the process of moving cows from one place to another

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

3 boxer   

n.制箱者，拳击手

参考例句：

• The boxer gave his opponent a punch on the nose.这个拳击手朝他对手的鼻子上猛击一拳。
• He moved lightly on his toes like a boxer.他像拳击手一样踮着脚轻盈移动。

4 bum   

n.臀部；流浪汉，乞丐；vt.乞求，乞讨

参考例句：

• A man pinched her bum on the train so she hit him.在火车上有人捏她屁股，她打了那人。
• The penniless man had to bum a ride home.那个身无分文的人只好乞求搭车回家。

5 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

6 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

7 conditional   

adj.条件的，带有条件的

参考例句：

• My agreement is conditional on your help.你肯帮助我才同意。
• There are two forms of most-favored-nation treatment:conditional and unconditional.最惠国待遇有两种形式:有条件的和无条件的。

8 vegetarian   

n.素食者；adj.素食的

参考例句：

• She got used gradually to the vegetarian diet.她逐渐习惯吃素食。
• I didn't realize you were a vegetarian.我不知道你是个素食者。

9 vegetarians   

n.吃素的人( vegetarian的名词复数 )；素食者；素食主义者；食草动物

参考例句：

• Vegetarians are no longer dismissed as cranks. 素食者不再被视为有怪癖的人。
• Vegetarians believe that eating meat is bad karma. 素食者认为吃肉食是造恶业。

10 conditionals   

n.条件句，从句，条件式( conditional的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Conditionals are used to about possible, imaginary or impossible conditions. 条件句用于谈论有可能的、想像的或不可能的状况。 来自互联网
• Macros containing conditionals will automatically update their visual feedback as appropriate during play. 宏中若有条件式存在时，会依照条件式自动更新该宏的技能、物品描述。 来自互联网

11 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

12 pony   

adj.小型的；n.小马

参考例句：

• His father gave him a pony as a Christmas present.他父亲给了他一匹小马驹作为圣诞礼物。
• They made him pony up the money he owed.他们逼他还债。