Perfect Modal Verbs

PERFECT MODAL VERBSby Esther Curiel

Must have done/ Mustn’t have done

• Certainty that something happened / didn’t happen.•When we draw logical conclusions.

Must have done/ Mustn’t have done

Can’t have done

• Certainty sth didn’t happen.

Can’t have done

She can’t have eaten it all!..

May/ Might/ Could have done

• A guess about a past action.

May/ Might/ Could have done

He might have prepared the soup in the microwave.

Could have done/ Couldn’t have done

• Ability to do sth in the past which in the end wasn’t done.• Certainty that sth didn’t happen.

Could have done/ Couldn’t have done

She could have painted the room the week before.

Should have done/ Shouldn’t have done

•When expectations were not fulfilled.•When sensible advise wasn’t followed.• To refer to a foolish past action.

Should have done/ Shouldn’t have done

I’m broke now! I should have gone window-shopping.

Would have done

• Desire to do sth in the past which in fact could not be done.

Would have done

I would have phoned Peter if I’d had his number.

Will have done

•When we talk about an action that will be completed by some point in the future.

Will have done

• At 14.00 he will have finished his lunch.

Joke: Should have done…