modal verb + have + past participle
Perfect Modal
|
Picture |
sentence |
could have _____
couldn't have _____
past ability |
|
The boy could have done the dishes himself, but his father
decided to help. |
should have ____
shouldn't have ____
You did or didn't do something that was a good idea. |
 |
The girl shouldn't have spun around so many times. She fell
down.
spin: turn around many times.
spin / spun / spun |
would have ____
wouldn't have ____
past condition /
past situation |
|
This house of cards would have fallen over if the person who
built it hadn't been so careful. |
may have _____
may not have _____
past possibility |
|
My grandfather may have used this camera when he was a young
man, but I'm not sure. |
might have ______
might not have _____
past possibility |
|
Her mother might have put mustard on her sandwich. She hopes
not. |
must have ____
must not have ___
past probability.
This indicates that something probably happened
in the past. |
|
They must have practiced a lot because they're very good musicians. |
Let's not forget...
The Future Perfect Tense
Unlike all the other modals above, will is used
for the future:
Subject + will + have + past participle
| Singular |
Plural |
| I will have lived |
We will have lived |
| You will have lived |
You will have lived |
| He will have lived |
|
| She will have lived |
They will have lived |
| It will have lived |
|
This is a difficult tense to use. It describes
an action that will be completed in the future.
For example:
I moved to Minnesota in 1991. The year now is 2008.
By 2011,
I will have lived in Minnesota for 20 years. |
Click
here for a quiz
Next: Lesson 13
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