English Teacher: Mercedes González Delgado IES Carlos Cano – Los Barrios (Cádiz)

MODAL VERBS II – MODAL PERFECTS

Modal Verb + have + past participle

MODAL PERFECTS MEANING EXAMPLE

CCCCould haveould haveould haveould have

Ability to have done

something but in fact

did not

It was silly to go over the speed limit. You could have

had an accident.

(Fue una estupidez rebasar el límite de velocidad.

Podrías haber tenido un accidente)

CCCCouldnouldnouldnouldn’’’’t havet havet havet have

Certainty that

something didn’t

happen

My brother couldn’t have caused a head-on collision

because he was at work.

(Mi hermano no pudo haber provocado un choque frontal porque estaba en el trabajo.)

Must haveMust haveMust haveMust have

Certainty or logical

conclusión about an

event in the past

They must have been really scared when a car went

into their lane.

(Debieron de haber tenido mucho miedo cuando un coche invadió su carril)

ShouShouShouShould /ld /ld /ld / ought toought toought toought to havehavehavehave

Criticism or regret after an event

I should / ought to have resisted the urge to eat that

chocolate cake because I’m on a diet.

(Debería haber contenido las ganas de comer ese pastel de chocolate porque estoy a dieta.)

ShouldnShouldnShouldnShouldn’’’’t havet havet havet have Criticism or regret

after an event

You shouldn’t have been so reckless while you were

driving.

(No deberías haber sido tan temerario mientras conducías)

May / May / May / May / MightMightMightMight havehavehavehave A guess about a

past action

She lost control of her car for a momento. Something

may / might have distracted her.

(Perdió el control del coche por un momento. Puede / Podría ser que algo la distrajera)

Would haveWould haveWould haveWould have

Willingness to have done

something but in fact did not

I would have taken you to the airport but my car

broke down.

(Te habría llevado al aeropuerto pero se me estropeó el coche)