Perfect Modals

Perfect Modals

Perfect Modals

Perfect modals are called that because they are formed by a modal verb (can, could, must, might/may, should) followed by a perfect tense construction (have+ past participle)

Perfect modals are used to talk about past actions.

Must have ...

We use must + have + past participle to express certainty about the past.

What do you think is a certainty in the past of Messi?

He must have trained hard when he was younger.

might/may/could have ...

We use might/may/could + have + past participle to express possibilities in the past.

What do you think happened?

It might have been an accident.

It may have been a terrorist attack.

It could have been a performace.

can't/couldn't have ...

We use can't/couldn't + have + past participle to express impossibility of a situation in the past.

should/ought to have ...

We use should/ought to + have + past participle to express regrets or criticism of past actions.

You shouldn't have left the dog in the car.

You ought to have been more responsible.

could have ...

We use could have + past participle to express suggested alternatives to past actions.

- Nadal won the match, but it could have won Federer.

needn't have ...

We use needn't have + past participle to express something that happened in the past, but it wasn't necessary.

- It was an informal party, she needn't have worn such an elegant dress.

What's the logical explanation?

What's another possibility?

Make your own hyphotesis.

You called your best friend 5 times yesterday and s/he still hasn't called you back

What's the logical explanation?

What do you think of his/her behaviour?

Yesterday on the bus you saw a man who looked exactly like your uncle. Your uncle died two years ago.

How can you explain this?

Yesterday, you saw your 20 year-old friend hugging a much older man

How can you explain this?