Grammar

Should Have / Ought to Have

These structures express regret or criticism about a past action: the right thing was not done. They describe the better choice that was available but not taken.

Post

Level B2 Modals

Summary

These structures express regret or criticism about a past action: the right thing was not done. They describe the better choice that was available but not taken.

Structure

should(n't) / ought (not) to + have + past participle

Examples

You should have told me you were coming.
I shouldn't have eaten so much.
They ought to have checked the figures before publishing.
We should have left earlier to avoid the traffic.

Common mistakes

• Writing 'should of' instead of 'should have'.
• Forgetting the negative shifts the meaning: 'shouldn't have' criticises something that was done.

Related

Modals of Deduction (Past)

More modals

Can / Could (Ability and Permission) A2

Use 'can' for present ability and informal permission or requests. Use 'could' for past ability and for more polite requests.

Must / Have To (Obligation) B1

Use 'must' and 'have to' to express obligation or necessity. 'Mustn't' means something is forbidden, while 'don't have to' means there is no obligation.

May / Might (Possibility) B1

Use 'may' and 'might' to talk about present or future possibility. 'May' is also used for formal permission.

Would for Past Habits B2

Use 'would' to talk about repeated past actions and habits, similar to 'used to'. Unlike 'used to', 'would' is not normally used for past states.

Would (Polite Requests and Hypotheticals) B1

Use 'would' for polite requests and offers, for hypothetical results (especially in conditionals), and to describe imagined situations.

Can and Can't for Ability A1

Use 'can' to say someone is able to do something and 'can't' for inability. 'Can' is followed by the base form of the verb and stays the same for all subjects.

External links

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