Fill in the blanks with would have, should have or could have.
1I ............... there. Nobody had invited me.
Wrong!
Use "shouldn't have gone" to say the action was a mistake because nobody had invited the speaker.
2She ............... if you had invited her personally.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
Use "would have come" for the expected result of an unreal past condition, or "could have come" for a result that would have been possible.
3If I had known that you were ill, I ............... to visit you.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
Use "would have come" or "could have come" for the result that did not happen because the speaker did not know.
4I ............... so I didn't stand for election.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
Both "couldn't have won" and "wouldn't have won" are possible because the sentence can mean winning was impossible or was not expected.
5They ............... so I didn't invite them.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
Both "couldn't have come" and "wouldn't have come" are possible because the sentence can mean they would not have been able to come or would not have wanted to come.
6It was a golden opportunity. He ............... wasted it.
Wrong!
Use "should not have" to criticize a past action that was wrong or unwise.
7You ............... rude to him. It really upset him.
Wrong!
Use "should not have been" to criticize rude behavior in the past.
8They ............... him. He had all the required qualifications.
Wrong!
Use "should have hired" to say the correct decision was not made in the past.
9You ............... me. I was getting worried.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
Use "should have called" to say the listener ought to have done this earlier. "Could have called" is also used to complain that someone did not do something they were able to do.
10He ............... more careful.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
Use "should have been" to say someone did not behave carefully enough in the past. "Could have been" is also used to criticize: he was able to be more careful but wasn't.
11You ............... the dog.
Wrong!
Use "shouldn't have teased" to say teasing the dog was a bad idea.
12Thank you so much for your help. I ............... this problem on my own.
Wrong!
Use "couldn't have solved" to say the speaker was not able to solve the problem without help.
Exercise complete
0 out of 12
correct answers
Answers
- I shouldn’t have gone there. Nobody had invited me.
- She would have come / could have come if you had invited her personally.
- If I had known that you were ill, I would have come / could have come to visit you.
- I couldn’t have won / wouldn’t have won so I didn’t stand for election.
- They couldn’t have come / wouldn’t have come so I didn’t invite them.
- It was a golden opportunity. He should not have wasted it.
- You should not have been rude to him. It really upset him.
- They should have hired him. He had all the required qualifications.
- You could have called / should have called me. I was getting worried.
- He should have been / could have been more careful.
- You shouldn’t have teased the dog.
- Thank you so much for your help. I couldn’t have solved this problem on my own.