Past Modal Verbs
Table of Contents
Exercises
Explanation
The structure is: modal + have + past participle (V3)
Example: She may have forgotten the time.
Negative form: modal + not + have + V3
Example: They might not have seen my message.
1. Might have / May have / Could have — past possibility
We use these when we are not sure what happened. They are guesses about the past.
Examples:
-
I can’t find my wallet. I might have dropped it in the taxi.
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She isn’t answering the phone. She may have fallen asleep.
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The shop is closed. They could have finished early today.
Negative:
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He might not have heard the doorbell.
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They may not have received the invitation.
2. Could have — ability in the past (but didn’t happen)
We use could have to say someone was able to do something, but didn’t do it.
Examples:
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I could have joined the team, but I chose not to.
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We could have taken a taxi, but we walked instead.
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She could have bought the tickets earlier.
3. Must have — strong probability about the past
We use must have when we are almost sure about something in the past.
Examples:
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The streets are wet. It must have rained last night.
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He looks tired. He must have worked late.
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The room is so quiet. They must have left.
4. Should have / Ought to have — past advice or criticism
We use these to say something was a good idea, but didn’t happen.
Examples:
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You should have booked seats earlier.
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She ought to have called her parents.
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We should have checked the weather first.
Negative:
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I shouldn’t have eaten so much
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He ought not to have shouted at her.
5. Should have / Ought to have — past expectation
Used to show that we expected something to happen, but it did not.
Examples:
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The train should have arrived by now.
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He ought to have finished the report yesterday.
6. Continuous forms (actions happening at a past moment)
Structure: modal + have been + -ing
Examples:
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When I called, they must have been studying.
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She might have been cooking when you rang the bell.
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He could have been driving home at that time.
Quick Summary
|
Meaning |
Structure |
Example |
|
Past possibility |
might/may/could + have + V3 |
She might have lost it. |
|
Missed ability/opportunity |
could have + V3 |
I could have won the game. |
|
Strong belief about past |
must have + V3 |
He must have forgotten. |
|
Past advice/criticism |
should/ought to have + V3 |
You should have told me. |
|
Past expectation |
should/ought to have + V3 |
They should have arrived. |
|
Past continuous guess |
modal + have been + -ing |
She may have been working. |
