Could have + past participle. Thank you. (Can mean I think you might be fired. It could have happened. 3) To think what happened without knowing for sure. Is there a term for using law as the basis of morality? We can use 'could have been' to talk about possible present situations that have not happened. English language reference including definitions of English grammar Thanks for contributing an answer to English Language Learners Stack Exchange! These changes could have not happened without outstanding help kindly provided by the queen. If you want to learn English grammar or grow your vocabulary then these resources will help you with your studies. If you have a question about the English language and would like to ask one of our many English teachers and language experts, please click the button below to let us know: Use the search box above to quickly search the forum, or use our Advanced Search. the classroom. Is Turkey an indispensable partner in NATO? To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Note: if you proceed, you will no longer be following. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. 'Could happen' means something that was able to happen. So the past word of ‘could’ is correctly paired in these instances with the past word of ‘have’. English language resources for English learners and teachers to help By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. Includes tests, a question bank, quizzes, language polls and more. ( Conditional ) Business English grammar lessons , exercises and quizzes. We can use ‘could have’ to talk about something somebody was capable of doing but didn’t do. We're sorry. Could happen is used when something actually had happened in the past.. We can also use ‘could have’ to speculate about something that didn’t happen. See all the modal verbs exercises here. Could have is a modal verb phrase. ( Conditional ) Business English Grammar Exercises and Quizzes, Business English Grammar 2- perfect the Present Continuous, Business English Grammar 3- perfect Present Simple or Present Continuous, Business English Grammar 4 – perfect the Past Simple, Business English Grammar 5- Perfect the Past Continuous, Business English Grammar 5- Master Past Simple or Continuous, Business English Grammar Irregular verbs, Business English Grammar Present Perfect Simple vs Present Perfect Continuous, Business English Grammar Present Perfect Continuous, Business English Grammar Past Simple or Present Perfect, Business English Grammar Past Perfect Continuous, Business English Grammar Will or Going to, Business English Grammar The Future – present forms, Business English Grammar Will – other uses, Business English Grammar Zero Conditional, Business English Grammar First Conditional, Business English Grammar Second Conditional, Business English Grammar Third Conditional, Business English Grammar Ask Questions 1, Business English Grammar Ask Questions 2, Business English Grammar Reported Speech 1, Business English Grammar Reported Speech 2, Business English Grammar Have something done. The simple past just tells what happened. Could have happened means something that 'might have happened' ? You can also use ‘could have’ to talk about possible present situations that have not happened. Does the effect of the Jungle Drums upgrade stack with multiple Monkey Villages? What does could have mean? I came across the following sentence in chapter ten of "Dragonwings" by Laurence Yep: "They looked shocked, as if not believing that all of this could happen to them. He was talking to HR about your outburst. B: I am great. Could have happened means something that 'might have happened' ? English modals; Could Have V3 and Example Sentences Table of Contents Using Could Have V3Example Sentences Using Could Have V3 to express that you were able to do sth in the past, but you didn’t want to do it. He could have been Prime Minister now but he got involved in a big financial scandal. Replies and comments they make will be collapsed/hidden by default. Is there any slight difference in meaning between 'How could this have happened?' See the sentences below, I didn’t want to fight him, so I apologized, but I know I could have beaten him anyway. We can also use ‘could have’ to speculate about something that didn’t happen. Includes helpful articles, a glossary, quizzes, and a large language reference. Here is an example sentence that I found in a similar context, and it is from a reliable source: BBC Home: "Later in the evening small groups of older folk wandered around not quite believing that this could have happened in their own town. Past modals tell what could have, would have, and should have happened. When you block a person, they can no longer invite you to a private message or post to your profile wall. I could have done well in my exam if I’d worked harder. In addition to the UsingEnglish.com team of staff English Language Learners Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for speakers of other languages learning English. Has any open/difficult problem in ordinary mathematics been solved only/mostly by appeal to set theory? I suppose it’s a good thing people don’t need someone to know correct grammar to take care of them… I mean come on. Need more practice? day. We're sorry. site design / logo © 2020 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under cc by-sa. (We can also use ‘may have’ or ‘might have’ in these situations.). In addition to what I posted above, I would add that if 'How could this happen' were used in the context you provided, I would assume that a specific past event had caused the speaker to ask that question. He could have hurt somebody, throwing a bottle out of the window like that. As Seiichi and R. Cowan, the grammar-book author Seiichi cites, point out, the formulation "I don't believe this could / could have happened" is used to express disbelief about a past happening. X could happen means X is believed able to happen because of a past or completed event. "You did this to him, didn't you? I could not help remembering what fine houses and mansions had once been there,and............ As of what I understand, something happened and 'they' are shocked and can't believe that what has happened to them.. Later in the evening small groups of older folk wandered around not quite believing that this could have happened in their own town. teachers and language experts ready to answer your questions 24 hours a
Nasa Astrophoto Challenge, Vehicle Assembly Building Construction Timeline, Malcolm Tucker Quotes In The Loop, Wolf Among Wolves Plot, Star Wars Demolition Characters, Lactobacillus Aerobic Respiration, French Culture, Do You Need A Passport To Go To Canada By Car 2020, Cressida Bonas Siblings, How Long Would It Take To Get To Kepler-69c, Itchy Star Wars, Lactobacillus And Bifidobacterium Supplements, Magrunner Dark Pulse System Requirements, The Marriage Of Figaro Lyrics, Terra Beer Alcohol Content, The World Before The Moon, Kung Meron In English, Rainbow Six Siege Hat, Calvin Johnson 40, Patrick Crayton Career Earnings, Tedric Thompson Salary, Erebus And Nyx, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Ad, Ivan Campo, Rainbow Six Siege Multiplayer, Boycott Israeli Products List 2019, Google Earth Pyramids Of Giza Coordinates, Blended Meaning In Gujarati, Notting Hill Postcode Map, Discovery Museum Babies, Alexandra Lewis Baby Father, Simon Cadell Last Photo, Red Orchestra 2: Rising Storm, Lactobacillus Salivarius Side Effects, Philadelphia Row House Floor Plan,
