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Modal Verbs

English Diction and Word Usage

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English (language)

How do I use "would," "could," "should," "would have,"

"could have," "should have," "would have been," "could
have been," and "should have been" in a proper way?
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49 Answers

Sweta Anand, studied at India

Answered Jan 14, 2015
Would, could and should are all auxiliary verbs.

An auxiliary verb is a verb which is used to depict mood or tense of other verbs. Few
other auxiliary verbs are may, shall, can, must etc.

Would - We use would for several purposes:

a) to talk about the past.

b) to talk about future in the past.
c) express the conditional mood.
d)express desire.
e)polite requests and questions.
f)opinion or hope.
g)wish and regret.

The basic structure for would is:

subject+ would+ main verb
eg. I would like tea. (I -subject, like-main verb)
She would not go.

Note that the main verb is sometimes in the form:

 have + past participle (She would have gone)
 be + -ing (She would be going)
would for the past

We often use would as a kind of past tense of will or going to:

 Even as a boy, he knew that he would succeed in life.
Using would as as a kind of past tense of will or going to is common
in reported speech:
 She said that she would buy some eggs. (She said,"I will buy some eggs.")
 The candidate said that he wouldn't increase taxes. (The candidate said, "I
won't increase taxes.")
 Why didn't you bring your umbrella? I told you it would rain! ("It's going to
rain.")
We often use would not to talk about past refusals:
 He wanted a divorce but his wife would not agree.
We sometimes use would (rather like used to) when talking about habitual past
behaviour:
 Every weekday my father would come home from work at 6pm and watch TV.
 We would always argue. We could never agree.

When talking about the past we can use would to express something that has not
happened at the time we are talking about:

would for the future in past:

 In London she met the man that she would one day marry.
would for conditionals

We often use would to express the so-called second and third conditionals:

For those unaware, Second conditonal is used to talk about unlikely situations.

Eg. If I had millions dollars, I would give a lot to charity.

Third conditional is used to talk about impossible conditions; impossible because

these things happened in the past and you cannot change the past.

Eg. If I had worked harder at school, I would have got better grades.

Using the same conditional structure, we often use would when giving advice:
 I wouldn't eat that if I were you.
 If I were in your place I would refuse.
 If you asked me I would say you should go.
Sometimes the condition is "understood" and there does not have to be an "if" clause:
 Someone who liked John would probably love John's father. (If someone liked
John they would probably love John's father.)
 You'd (you would) never know it. (for example: If you met him you would never
know that he was rich.)
 would for desire or inclination
o I would love to live here.
o Would you like some coffee?
 would for polite requests and questions
o Would you open the door, please? (more polite than: Open the door, please.)
o Would you go with me? (more polite than: Will you go with me?
 would for opinion or hope
o I would have to agree.
o I would expect him to come.
 would for wish
o I wish you would stay. ( meaning - I really want you to stay. I hope you will
stay.)
o They don't like me. I'm sure they wish I'd resign.

Would have and Would have been are the "Second conditional simple" and
"Second conditional Progressive" tenses of the word Would.

To know more about tenses , please go through this link :

English Tenses

Could-

We use could t0 :

a)to talk about possibilities/abilities to do things in the past.

b)to make requests.

Use of could for past possibility or ability

We use could to talk about what was possible in the past, what we were able or free to
do:
  I could swim when I was 5 years old.
 My grandmother could speak seven languages.
 When we arrived home, we could not open the door. (...couldn't open the
door.)
 Could you understand what he was saying?

could for requests:

We often use could in a question to ask somebody to do something. The use

of could in this way is fairly polite (formal):

 Could you tell me where the bank is, please?

 Could you send me a catalogue, please?

Could have and Could have been are the "Second conditional simple" and
"Second conditional Progressive" tenses of the word Could.

Should-

We use should mainly to:

a)give advice or make recommendations

b)talk about obligation
c)talk about probability and expectation
d)express the conditional mood
e)replace a subjunctive structure

The basic structure for should is:

subject+ should+ main verb

Eg. He should work.

She should not go.

Note that the main verb is sometimes in the form:

have + past participle (He should have gone.)

be + -ing (He should be going.)

should for advice, opinions

We often use should when offering advice or opinions (similar to ought to):
You should see the new James Bond movie. It's great!
You should try to lose weight.
John should get a haircut.
He shouldn't smoke. And he should stop drinking too.
What should I wear?

should for obligation, duty, correctness

Another use of should (also similar to ought to) is to indicate a kind of obligation,
duty or correctness, often when criticizing another person:
 You should be wearing your seat belt. (obligation)
 I should be at work now. (duty)
 You shouldn't have said that to her. (correctness)
 He should have been more careful.
 Should you be driving so fast?

should for probability, expectation

We use should to indicate that we think something is probable (we expect it to
happen):
 Are you ready? The train should be here soon.
 $10 is enough. It shouldn't cost more than that.

should for conditionals

 We sometimes use should (instead of would) for the first person singular
and plural (I, we) of some conditionals:
o If I lost my job I should have no money.
(If he lost his job he would have no money.)
o We should be grateful if you could send us your latest catalogue.
 This is not a very important distinction. (More about the use
of shall/will and should/would.)
should for If I were you I should...
We often use the conditional structure "If I were you I should..." to give
advice.
o If I were you, I should complain to the manager.
o If I were you, I shouldn't worry about it.
o I shouldn't say anything if I were you.
 Note that we can omit "If I were you..." and just say:
o I should complain to the manager.
o I shouldn't worry about it.
o I shouldn't say anything.
 In these cases, the phrase "I should" really means something like "you should".
should for pseudo subjunctive
We often use a special verb form called the subjunctive when talking about events that
somebody wants to happen, hopes will happen or imagines happening, for example:
 The president insists that the prime minister attend the meeting.
However, this is much more common in American English. British English speakers
often convey the same idea using should:
  The president insists that the prime minister should attend the meeting.

Should have and Should have been are the "Second conditional simple"
and "Second conditional Progressive" tenses of the word Should.

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Josh Landquest, Designer, Musician, Japanese Pop Culture Scholar

Updated Feb 15, 2015 · Author has 63 answers and 133k answer views
I'm not aware of all the terms relating to English grammar, and I'm not sure if just
telling you that would help you. In which case just go read Wikipedia.

But I'll break it down in layman's terms that aim to help you get it:

could, would and should are a subset of auxiliary verbs called modal verbs (so
are can, will and shall).
They imply a future situation or a potential present one.
could have, would have, should have imply a past potential situation. They are
unchangeable, as the moment has passed.

should have been, could have been & would have been are no different in terms
of my explanation of should have, could have and would have. You just attached
the be verb to those clauses in your question. At that rate you'd have people answering
how should go is different from should have gone, etc.

They all relate to how they communicate the likelihood of a thing, or to

the expectation or the ability of a thing.

Should, would and could are modal verbs that fall into one of two
categories, epistemic or deontic. Don't worry about remembering the
words deontic or epistemic.

The context of a situation helps you know if a word is epistemic or deontic. The hard
part is knowing the difference.

Epistemic: ability, necessity, or obligation

Deontic: based on the speaker's assessment of reality or likelihood

"If I had wings, I could fly."

(referring to what is needed for the ability to fly)

"I would go out tonight, but i haven't got a stitch to wear."

(referring to the likelihood / lack thereof of the person going out)

"You should talk to your friend, she looks sad."

(referring to the obligation of the subject to the person)

"I should eat something."

(referring to the human necessity to eat food)

"It should rain soon, at least that's what the weather forecast says." (likelihoodbased
on former knowledge)

"You're their father, so you should teach your children some manners."
(obligation based on a belief)

The past tense of these don't change the meaning. I'll just assume you're asking for a
context for them.

"I should have studied harder for that test."

(based on knowledge of the difficulty of the test and the necessity to study)

"It should have rained last night, according to the forecast."

(referring to an expectation formed in the past, regardless of the result)

"I would have gone out last night, but I didn't have a stitch to wear."
(referring to the past tense likelihood / lack thereof of him going out and confirming
the fact that he didn't go out)

"I could have loaned you some nice clothes to wear, Morrissey."
(referring to the ability the subject had to loan his nice clothes out to his friend
Morrissey, had he mentioned needing clothes)

Note that a should have (verb) _____ sentence is not the same tense as a should
have (noun)____ sentence.

Have is such a versatile verb and in the should have clause it just changes should
from future or present to past tense.

For example, if I say "You should have enough time to make it to the post office, it's
open until 5pm," --that sentence has nothing to do with the past tenseexpression of
likelihood.

The have in the sentence is the operative verb, and it's followed by a noun, in this case
the word time.

So that's why you might see a sentence like "I should have had more time to work on
that project, but the boss was being strict about the deadline."

Isn't that weird? Present tense and past tense of have are right next to each other. That
is where the should have clause can express expectation or belief in the past tense
while also using the verb have.

Believing something is often a continuous act. "I should exercise more," and "I should
have exercised more," are different tenses referring to different times, but
the should part of both of them could be a belief that you just formed presently.

P.S. You will never see the words should, could or would and had next to each other,
as in "should had" --that much is incorrect.

Hope this wasn't totally confusing!

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Vipin Arora, Right knowledge of grammar is so important

Answered Aug 19, 2016 · Author has 486 answers and 334.5k answer views
  Use SHOULD And SHOULDN’T For Advice
“I’ve had a really bad headache for the past week.”
“That’s not good – you should go see a doctor.”

 Use COULD And COULDN’T For Ability In The Past

Could and couldn’t are the past forms of can and can’t:

When I was younger, I could run a mile in 7 minutes. Now it takes me 20 minutes!

 Use COULD For Possibilities In The Future

“Do you have any ideas for our publicity campaign?”

“Yes, I’ve got a few ideas. I could put advertisements on Facebook and Google.
We could also give out pamphlets in our neighbourhood. Maybe John couldeven
contact local TV stations.”

 Use COULD To Make Polite Requests

Could you please open the window? It’s hot in here.

 Use WOULD To Talk About Unreal Or Unlikely Situations

If I were the president of my company, I would make a lot of changes.

 Use WOULD YOU LIKE To Make Polite Offers

“Would you like anything to drink?”
“A soda would be great. Thanks!”

Should have, Could have & Would have are used to describe lost
opportunities

 Should Have: Use should have to say that a different action was
recommended in the past.
“I should have left my house earlier”

“I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”

 Could Have: Use could have to talk about possibilities if something

had been different in the past.
“If I had studied harder, I could have gotten a better job.”

 Would Have: Use would have to imagine a result (if something had
been different in the past):
“If we had reached earlier, we would have caught the train.”

I would try to explain the difference between could have been, would have been &
should have been using the following examples:

1. “I would have been there for your engagement dinner but I was sick in bed with
the flu.” This shows that you intended to be there but something
came up that prevented you from going.
 2. “I could have been graduating next month but I had to drop out of school for a
semester.” So, you were on track to graduate but a circumstances
beyond your control prevented that from actually happening.
3. “I should have paid more attention to my English teacher but I was
daydreaming too much.” This shows that you knew you were supposed
to pay closer attention, but just weren’t focused enough on that
task.
Hope it’s useful!

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Sandeep Manudhane, English is a good idea. As peculiar, at times even worse, than the rest.
Answered Jul 13, 2016 · Author has 393 answers and 5.6m answer views
India would be happy to see the Chinese break up their useless all-weather friendship
with Pakistan.

But it could mean India having to resort to some strong methods.

Well, maybe India should do that.

India would have never supported China's permanent seat candidature in UNSC had
we the faintest notion of the way things have turned out.

India could have simply blocked China's way back then.

Indians today feel we should have done precisely that.

India's global bargaining position would have been very strong today.

India could have been calling the shots.

India, given its democratic traditions, should have been helped by the big powers.

But unfortunately, just like all lessons in grammar, India's journey to a peaceful but
feared big power status has become long and tortuous.

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Mohit Sehgal, Youtube Grammar Coach, Top Writer 2018

Answered Dec 25, 2017 · Author has 436 answers and 488.6k answer views
What a wholesome melange of modals and perfect conditionals this one, but boy is it
going to take some doing! :) Let’s begin:

1. Would
a. As past of will :
>He said he would be away for a couple of days.
>I tried my best but she just wouldn’t leave.

b. As a politer/softer form of will (Interpersonal uses)

Would is used in place of will for expressing polite requests and offers.
>Would you help me please? (asking a stranger perhaps)
>Hey, will you help me? (asking a friend, family member or any other close
acquaintance)
>Would you like to join us for dinner? (inviting someone you wish to get to know
better)
>Will you come for dinner? (inviting a friend, family member or someone else who is
known to you)
>I would like a glass of water, please. (asking politely)
>I want a glass of water. (informal relations)

c. As a more official/formal form of will

would is used as a more formal version of will when giving orders.
>Tom, would you have a look at those files from corporate? I’d really appreciate. (a
superior politely and formally commanding a subordinate)
>Tom, will you look at those files for me? Thanks! (a horizontal <peer to peer> request
between employees.)

d. As less certain version of will

When the probability of a future or near-future event is on the lower side, wouldis
preferred over will:
>I will enjoy the movie. (You are sure to enjoy it)
>I would enjoy the movie, I suppose. (you have your doubts)
>It will rain soon. (situation :you feel some drizzle getting stronger indicating a strong
probability)
>It would rain perhaps. (there are some clouds in the sky with faint thunder, so a 50–
50 toss-up.)

e. Imagining or indicating the consequences of an imaginary situation:

>If I were the president, I would do things differently. (the imagination is to have been
the president)
>If I had a tough car like that, I would drive to the mountains every other
day! (Impressed by a rad SUV, hehe!)

f. Expressing someone’s past habits or past typical behaviour:

When employed for expressing past habits, would functions as ‘used to’:
As a teenager, he would eat a lot! = As a teenager, he used to eat a lot!
As a child, he wouldn’t listen to anyone! = As a child he didn’t use to listen to anyone.
(If you’re keen on the differences between will and would with more examples, my
video below might help)

g. To give advice :
>I wouldn’t drink that if I were you!
>I wouldn’t even give it a second thought if I were in your shoes!
>You would be better off to accept that handsome offer.

h. Making a guess:
>I would imagine they’re at the airport by now.
>I suppose you would find the book boring.

i. Expressing a desire or wish

>I would love to climb Everest one day!
>How I would love to own a private jet!

j. To make a comment about someone’s typical behaviour :

>“I asked Walt for some cash but he refused saying he’s running low these days.”
“Oh he would say that, wouldn’t he?” (You know Walt to be extra careful with his
money, so you expect a typical response as such from him.)

k. Expressing regret :
In the capacity of an expression of regret, would functions synonymous to the
word ‘wish’:
>Would that my brother had lived to witness this proud moment.
>Would I were the captain, I’d have led the team to victory.

l. In the reported speech, in place of will :

>DIRECT SPEECH: Tomorrow will be fine.
>INDIRECT SPEECH: The forecast said the next day would be fine.”

m. Future in the past:

would is also used to express the idea of 'future in the past' - to talk about a past action
which had not yet happened at the time we are talking about.
>In Berlin, he first met the woman whom he would one day marry.
>There was a chance that my letter would arrive in time.”
>I had no idea that one day I would partner with him, a stranger then.

n. As a conditional auxiliary with ‘if’:

would is often used as an auxiliary with verbs that refer to unreal or uncertain situations
-
>I would tell you if I knew.
>It would have been nice if he'd thanked you.

2. Could

a. as past for can

could here functions as was/were able to
>She couldn’t submit her thesis on time. = She wasn’t able to submit her thesis on time.
>They were happy they could find a hotel that late into the night.= They were happy
they were able to find a hotel that late into the night.
b. to express past ability (once again as “was able to”)
>When I was your age, I could run for miles at a stretch!
>I could sing for hours as a music student, but now I’ve lost touch!

c. as a politer and more formal version of can.

Could is used as a politer can when seeking permissions and expressing requests:
>Could you please wake me up at six? (a guest over the intercom, placing a request at
the hotel reception.)
>Can/will you wake me up at six? (casual/with someone close)
>Could I accompany you in your car tonight after work? (A colleague at work)
>Can I come with you in your car after the class? (A friend/peer/family etc.)
>Could I leave early today? I have a train to catch. (A subordinate seeking a superior’s
permission.)
(When used to seek permission, could functions in the capacity of ‘may’.)

d. as a less certain version of can

To express the lower probability of occurrence of an event, could is preferred over can.
Here could functions in the same capacity as does would when it comes to expressing
probability :
>It could rain perhaps. (there are some clouds in the sky with faint thunder, so a 50–50
toss-up.)

e. as a politer version of can for suggestions and offers:

>You could try doing it a different way. (politer/more formal suggestion, perhaps to a
senior)
>You can try another way. (more casual/friendly)
>Hi! Could I drop you somewhere? (polite offer to someone whom you don’t know too
well.)
> Can I give you a lift/Can I drop you somewhere? (Informal and friendly)

f. could = would be allowed:

Could also functions conditionally as would be allowed in a futuristic sense :
>He could borrow my shoes if he asked = He would be allowed to borrow my shoes if
he asked.
>They could see me if they took an appointment = They would be allowed to see me if
they took an appointment.
(Here’s a video which might prove relevant here)

3. Should

a. to express obligation (things that are good or important for people to do)
Here, should works as a softer form of must.
>Everyone should wear seat belts.
>One should respect one’s parents.

b. To express probability of an event (because it is logical or normal in the

circumstances)
>Jack’s away but he should be back tomorrow.
>Power should be back on in a few moments.

c. with if-clauses
Here should works in the capacity of ‘happen to’
>If you should run into James, tell him he owes me money! = If you happen to run into
James, tell him he owes me money!
> If you should pass a supermarket, do buy some cereal.= If you happen to pass a
supermarket, do buy some cereal.

d. with in case and lest

I’ll install a marquee (tent) in the garden in case it should rain.
Let’s keep a spare gallon of fuel in the back in case it should run out.
(lest has a meaning similar to in case, you can also have the above sentences with lest.
Lest however is older English, more literary now.)
I’ll install a marquee in the garden lest it should rain.
I’ll shut the windows lest it should get stormy.

e. with so that and in order that (rarer usage)

(In sentences about the past involving so that and in order that, should can be used with
the verb)
>The slot machines at the casino were rigged so that it should make maximum money.
> They started early in their journey in order that they should make it on time.

And now on to the perfect and past conditionals : would have, could have,
should have, would have been, could have been, should have been.

4. would have
Form : would have + past participle (V3)
e.g. would have eaten, would have taken etc.
a. for prediction about an imaginary past situation
(we use would have to imagine the outcome of an imaginary past situation if it were to
actually take place)
>Life in the middle ages was terrible; you would have hated it.
>I’m glad you left him when you had the chance else he would have cheated you.
(Note: It’s important in this last sentence to make a distinction
betweencould have and would have because, “I’m glad you left him when
you had the chance else he could have cheated you”, is also possible.)
The point to appreciate is that while could have is used to express past ability and past
possibility (refer point 4.b below), would have is more concerned with the outcome. In
the sentence the speaker is emphasising the outcome which is “…he would have cheated
you.”

b. For the opposite of what happened.

When the truth of the situation is opposite to what one would have actually done in the
same situation, would have is once again used:
>If I had seen you walking, I would have certainly stopped the car.
(Here the truth of the situation (didn’t stop the car) is quite opposite to what one would
have wished for, which is to have stopped the car)
Similarly,
>If I were the President, I would have done things differently.

5. could have
Form : could have + past participle (V3)
e.g. could have seen, could have watched etc.
a. unrealised past ability and missed opportunity
We use could have when people feel they had the ability to become someone or
something but they couldn't turn that into a reality.
>I could have become a singer but I had to study law.
Also, if an opportunity has been missed to do something that was possible, we use could
have:
>I could have boarded the train, but I was late to get there.

b. to criticise someone
When someone didn’t do something that was the right or better course of action, we
use could have to present the criticism:
>He could have saved some money but he wasted it on pointless things.
>You could have made something of your life had you studied harder.
>“The Government could have lowered the taxes but no sir it did not!”

6. should have
Form : should have + past participle(V3)
should have come, should have taken etc.
a. if somebody didn't do something that was important
>Jenny should have gone to the doctor but she didn’t.
(Perhaps this was important and could deteriorate her medical condition)
>I should have studied harder at school.
(maybe the present struggle in higher studies or the calling is making this realisation
dawn.)

b. when somebody did something wrong.

(in this case, the negative of should have: shouldn't have is used. )
>He should’t have yelled at the nice waiter.
>You shouldn’t have insulted your father when all he wanted to do was help.

You may refer to this video of mine wherein I take up the perfect conditionals in detail,
with simple explanation and examples:

7. would have been

would have been is nothing but the same as would have, only followed by the use of the
verb be in its past participle- been, since it’s always the past participle or V3 that
follows would have (would have + past participle). You can, therefore, certainly see it
as an extension to the perfect conditional would have.

would have been can be used in the following ways :

Subject + would have been + adjective (would have been lost)
Subject + would have been + verb (Present participle/ -ing) (would have been eating)
Subject + would have been + noun (would have been + a painter)
The uses are quite similar to would have :
a. for prediction about an imaginary past situation
>I would have been lost had I not found you. Or
>If I had not found you I would have been lost.

>I would have been starving myself for nothing had you not shared such an effective
diet plan. OR
>If you hadn’t shared such an effective diet plan, I would have been starving myself for
nothing.

>I would have been a painter had my circumstances allowed. Or

>If my circumstances had allowed, I would have been a painter.

8. could have been

Just as would have been is to would, could have been too is an extension of the could
have structure, along with the verb be in its past participle- been. Hence the uses are
found similar to could have as well.

could have been can be used in the following ways :

Subject + could have been + adjective (could have been healthier)
Subject + could have been + verb (Present participle/ -ing) (could have been reading)
Subject + could have been + noun (could have been + a scientist)

a. unrealised past ability and missed opportunity

We use could have been when people feel they had the ability to become someone or
something but they couldn't turn that into a reality.
>I could have been a singer but I had to study law.
Also, if an opportunity is missed to do something that was possible or be somewhere, we
use could have been again:
>I could have been on the train at this moment but I was late to get there.
>I could have been dining at a fancy restaurant had you not delayed me.

(Note: Once again, the difference between would have been and could have
been remains that could have been is used when thinking of the past possibility or
ability or lost opportunity. Would have been, on the other hand is used when the
imaginary outcome is more prior in the mind.
>I could've been on the plane if it weren’t for the traffic jam. (thinking of the lost
opportunity)
>I would've been on the plane if it weren’t for the traffic jam. (this time thinking of the
imaginary outcome i.e. sitting on the plane)

9. should have been

Like the predecessors, should have been too functions akin to should have:
Subject + should have been + adjective (should have been more attentive)
Subject + should have been + verb (Present participle/ -ing) (should have been
cleaning)
Subject + should have been + noun (should have been + a dancer )
Should have been functions as was supposed to be.

a. if somebody wasn’t doing something that was important (note the

continuous)
>Jenny should have been studying all this while but she didn’t.
= Jenny was supposed to be studying all this while but she didn’t.
>You should have been cleaning the house, instead you were sleeping!
= You were supposed to be cleaning the house, instead you were sleeping!

b. when somebody was supposed to become someone/soemthing but they

didn’t.
>I should have been an athlete given my fitness, but that one injury inhibited me.
>She should have been an actress with her beauty, but her family was too uptight
about it.

Phew! And that’s that! Have tried to be as exhaustive as possible. Apologies upfront for
any slips. Cheers! :)
1.4k Views · View Upvoters

Parul Geete, It's only words, and words are all I have To take your heart away. :P
Answered Feb 24, 2015 · Author has 75 answers and 378.9k answer views
Originally Answered: What is the difference between "would have, could have, should have, and might
have"?
Should have, could have, and might have are sometimes called “modals of lost
opportunity” because they describe situations when we are imagining that the past was
different than present may be good or bad.

The general rule of Should, Could, and Would is:

 Should for recommendation / advice
“If you want to lose weight, you should eat healthy food.”
 Could for possibilities
“I have the day off tomorrow.”
“Great! We could spend the day at the beach. Or we could go shopping.
 Would for imagining results
“If I were rich, I would buy a boat.
1. Should Have
Use should have to say that a different action was recommended in the past.

Example :
 If you arrive late to English class, you can say:
“I should have left my house earlier.”
 If you regret an argument, you can say:
“I shouldn't have yelled at you yesterday. I’m sorry.”
 You can also use should have / shouldn't have to tell other people that a
different action in the past would have been better.
 If your son fails a test, you can say:
“You should have studied. You shouldn't have played video games all
weekend.”

2. Could Have
Use could have to talk about possibilities if something had been different in the past.
Example :
 someone who didn't go to college can say:
“If I had gone to college, I could have gotten a better job.”
 When talking about a gymnast who didn't win a competition, you can say:
“She could have won the gold medal if she hadn't fallen three times.”
 Could have is often used with “if + had + past participle” (If I had gone / if she
hadn't fallen) – these “if” phrases express the imaginary past situation.
However, in some cases you can use could have without the “if” phrase.
Imagine you’re driving with a person who makes a dangerous maneuver on the
road. You can say:
“Are you crazy? We could have gotten into an accident.”
3. Would Have
Use would have to imagine a result (if something had been different in the past)
Example:
 If you arrive late at the airport and miss your flight, you can say:
“If we had arrived earlier, we would have caught our flight.”
 If you forget your umbrella, and it starts to rain, and you get wet, you can say:
“If I had brought my umbrella, I wouldn't have gotten wet in the rain.”
 Would have expresses more certainty about the result than could have:
“If I had worked harder, I could have gotten a promotion.”
(maybe I’d get a promotion… but maybe not)
On a test where you need 70% to pass:
“I got a 68 on the test. If I had gotten two more points, I would havepassed.”
(with the two points, passing the test is CERTAIN)

In spoken English, people may say should’ve, could’ve, and would've.

4. Might Have
Use might have when to have imagine possibilities, or maybe the sentence is
conditional.
Example :
 Its ten'O clock now. He might have arrived now.
 They might have arrived hours ago.
hope it helps. cheers!!
32k Views · View Upvoters · Answer requested by Pugazhendhi S.p
Prachi Kapoor, 19 | Commerce Student
Updated Jan 8, 2017 · Author has 252 answers and 564.2k answer views
WOULD

1. Wish - I would like to see that book.

2. Refusal - She wouldn't disclose anything.
3. Determination - He would have his own way.
4. Past habit - He would walk on the street for hours.
5. Willingness (in the past) - She said that she would help me.
6. Polite speech - Would you mind helping me out ?
7. Uncertainty - Had we met, I would have told her everything.
COULD

1. Possibility - She could be the one who stole the money.

2. Past ability - I could speak English fluently when I was a kid.
3. Suggestion - You could spend your vacation in Paris.
4. Conditional - If I had more time, I could travel around the world.
5. Polite request - Could I borrow your pencil ?
SHOULD

1. Duty or Obligation - We should help the poor.

2. Advice - You shouldn't laugh at her.
3. Supposition, Possibility, Condition - If it should rain, the school will remain
closed.
4. Negative purpose (after lest) - Take heed lest you should fall.
WOULD HAVE, SHOULD HAVE, COULD HAVE

To talk about things that didn't really happen in the past.

 Could have + past participle - Something was possible in the past, or you
had the ability to do something in the past, but you didn't do it.
I could have stayed up late, but I decided to go to bed early.

 Should have + past participle - Something that would have been a good
idea, but you didn't do it or something that we think has already happened, but
we're not certain about it.
I should have gone to bed early.

The train should have arrived by now.

 Would have + past participle - Used in past conditionals to talk about

something that did not happen.
If it would have been a little warmer, we would have gone for a swim.

WOULD HAVE BEEN, COULD HAVE BEEN, SHOULD HAVE BEEN

 These are the second conditional progressive forms of Would, Could and Should
respectively.

Thank you for the A2A !! :)

20.7k Views · View Upvoters · Answer requested by Parteek Malik
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