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Modals in the past

They are modals referred to actions that happened in the past.

MODAL + HAVE + verb in past participle

They should have invited her over for dinner tonight.

Modal Concept Example

Must have + PP Logical conclusion on a past Peter has arrived late. He must

event have been in a traffic jam

May/ might + PP Deduction on a past event Joe may / might have taken the
wrong train.

Could have +PP Possibility to do something, gone You could have played better
unfulfilled

Couldn’t have +PP Certainty that something couldn’t He couldn’t have passed because

have happened you hadn’t studied enough

Would have +PP Desire to do something, but I would have visited you, but I

impossibility to do it for external forgot your address
causes

Should/ ought to Lament on something that should You should / ought to have
have +PP have been done warned me earlier

Shouldn’t have + PP Critique on something that He shouldn’t have told them

shouldn’t have happened

Needn’t have +PP Something that wasn’t necessary You needn’t have bought it .

doing