Sentence structure: Past modals: should have, must have
Modal + have + V3 looks at the past: regret or criticism (should have) and guesses about the past (must have, might have, can't have).
Bring the pieces togetherIn this chapter
Formula
Positive: She must have forgotten. · Negative: You shouldn't have worried.
What does each one mean?
I should have studied more.
Example: should have + V3
Example: shouldn't have + V3
Regret: should have
I didn't bring one, and now I'm getting wet. Turkish “-meliydi” = should have + V3.
Example: I should have brought an umbrella.
Example: We shouldn't have eaten so much cake.
Guessing: must / might / can't have
Example: The ground is wet.
Example: It must have rained last night.
Careful when you hear it
In speech, have gets short: should've, must've, might've. It can sound like “of”, but never write of: should have (“should of” is wrong).
Tip
When guessing about the past, the negative of must have is usually not mustn't have but can't have or couldn't have: He can't have seen us.
Position 2 of 8 chapters at B2.