PERFECT MODALS (modal + have + PII)
Affirmative Negative
1. possibility that st happened in the
past, but not certain if it actually
happened : có thể là, có thể đã
-It could have been tomato soup.
-Where’s my phone? – Someone could
have pickpocketed it when we were at
the museum.
could have
2. there was a possibility of st
happening in the past, but it didn’t
happen: đã có thể
-It could have been awful.
-You could have got a job last year.
-You disobeyed me. You could have
been killed there.
= could have1
-It might have been tomato soup.
-You may have noticed this
may/might have
advertisment.
almost certain that st has happened:
chắc là đã
-This article must have been written
must have by a woman.
-The grass is wet! It must have rained
last night.
© Teaching Materials – Perfect Modals – Dương Minh Hoàng
Equivalent
maybe, perhaps, it’s likely
that…
indicate that it is not possible (+): there are chances that…
that st happened: không thể
nào (-): there’s no way that…
- He didn’t have a boat, so he
couldn’t have rowed away.
-It couldn’t have been wrong.
possibility that st didn’t maybe not, perhaps not, it’s
happen in the past, but not unlikely that…
certain: có thể không
-They may not have done it.
-He might not have seen me.
almost certain that st has not (+): evidence shows that st is
happened: chắc là không true
-The grass is dry. It mustn’t
have rained last night.
(-): evidence shows that st is
untrue
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can’t have
expect st to happen, but it didn’t [a
correct thing to do]: lẽ ra nên
-You should have helped me.
should/ought to have
-Yesterday should have been the start
of the soccer season.
-She ought to have been home at 7
p.m.
st that was going to happen but did
not happen: đã…
-If you had prepared when I came, we
would have would have come to the party early.
needn’t have
(= didn’t have to)
© Teaching Materials – Perfect Modals – Dương Minh Hoàng
don’t think that st has there’s no way that…
happened: không thể nào
-You can’t have forgotten me.
-He can’t have said that.
[a wrong thing to do, used to
criticize a mistake in the past]:
lẽ ra không nên
-You shouldn’t have gone out.
-You oughtn’t have crossed
the red light.
st that was not going to
happen but happened: đã
không…
-If you had prepared when I
came, we wouldn’t have come
to the party this late.
doing st in the past is not
necessary: không cần phải
-You are the guest, you
needn’t have cleaned it all.
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