Should have, could have, didn't need to

  • B2 · Upper-intermediate
  • Grammar lesson
  • 60 min
  • past modals

Looking back: should have and shouldn't have for mistakes, could have for chances we didn't take and dangers that didn't happen, would have for what we were ready to do, and didn't need to for what wasn't necessary. From a hiker lost overnight to "What should I have done?"

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should havecould havedidn't need to

What's in the lesson

  1. 1Warm-up
  2. 2Reading: alone in the woodsReading comprehension
  3. 3What really happened?Grammar exercise
  4. 4Find the past modalsGrammar exercise
  5. 5Looking back: the past modalsGrammar rule
  6. 6Choose the best modalGrammar exercise
  7. 7What would you say?Grammar exercise
  8. 8Moving dayGrammar exercise
  9. 9Questions for your teacherGrammar exercise
  10. 10Say it naturallySpeaking practice
  11. 11What should I have done?Speaking practice
  12. 12About youGrammar exercise
  13. 13Wrap-up

Homework

  1. 1Homework: Maria's job interviewGrammar exercise
  2. 2Homework: the right formGrammar exercise
  3. 3Homework: an advice columnDiscussion

Two slides from the lesson

Warm-up

A few questions about you before we start.

  1. What is a decision you are glad you made?
  2. Have you ever arrived somewhere and realized you had forgotten something important?
  3. Do you often think about what you could have done differently, or do you let things go?

Grammar rule

Looking back: the past modals

FormMeaningExample
should have + past participleIt was a good idea, but it didn't happen.She should have saved her work.
shouldn't have + past participleIt happened, and it was a mistake.I shouldn't have eaten that third burger.
could have + past participleIt was possible, but it didn't happen: a chance, or a danger.We could have won. · The fire could have destroyed the whole street.
You could have + past participlea complaintYou could have warned me!
would have + past participleI was ready to do it, but nobody asked.I would have lent you my car.
didn't need to / didn't have to + verbIt wasn't necessary.You didn't need to wait for me.

Questions and negatives

Should I have told her? · What should we have done? · You shouldn't have + past participle (not should haven't).

In British English

needn't have + past participle means you did something that wasn't necessary: I needn't have worried. Americans usually say I didn't need to worry or I didn't have to worry. ought to have + past participle means should have, but it is formal and rare in American English.

could have can also be a guess about the past: Where's Sam? He could have missed the bus. (Maybe he did.) We look at guesses about the past in unit 4.
After the modal: have + past participle. Not should of, not should have went (went → gone), not could have came (came → come).

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