The document discusses the differences between "could have" and "should have."
"Could have" expresses hypothetical past options or suggestions after an event, while "should have" expresses advice or the best option based on consideration of alternatives. The document uses the sinking of the Titanic as an example, listing things that passengers, owners, and crew "could have" done differently as well as what they "should have" done in hindsight.
It also discusses how the third conditional is used to talk about impossible past conditions and results, using the past perfect tense for the condition and "would have" for the impossible result.
2. Could have vs. Should have
Offer options and advice after an event has occurred
Options and Advice of Past Events
After a disaster, such as the sinking of the Titanic, people analyze options
that were available at the time. Then they recommend changes so that
accidents can be avoided in the future.
3. Could have and Should have
COULD HAVE SHOULD HAVE
Could have expresses an opinion or suggestion for a
past option not chosen. Other hypothetical choices
are discussed after a tragedy in order to avoid a re-
occurrence.
Should have expresses an opinion or advice for a
past situation. After other hypothetical options are
considered, the best option(s) is/are selected
as advice.
A PAST OPTION LATE ADVICE
Passengers could have taken other smaller
transatlantic ships.
he owners should have supplied enough
lifeboats for everyone.
The captain could have chosen a more
southern transatlantic route.
The captain should have insisted on better
emergency preparation.
The owners could have pressed designers to
include more safety flotation compartments.
The passengers should have asked about the
number of lifeboats.
Watchmen could have asked the captain to
slow down due to fog.
The captain should have been cruising more
slowly in the northern ship lanes.
4. Could have is used for alternative options. There are many things that
could have been done. Maybe, they would have made a difference,
maybe not.
Should have is used for the best option. This is / these are the key, most
important, things that would have made a difference. (After the Titanic
Inquiry, they became recommendations for changes in maritime rules.)
5. Could Have
Lost Opportunity
Could have — had the opportunity, but didn't take it
OPTION HYPOTHETICAL STATEMENT
1) Offer more life jackets. he owners could have supplied more life
jackets. (but they didn't)
2) Hold emergency practices. The captain could have held emergency
practices. (but he didn't)
3) Keep in contact with other ships in the area. The captain could have radioed other ships in
the area to ask about iceberg sightings. (but he
didn't)
6. One expression with two meanings
TATEMENT OF POSSIBILITY HYPOTHETICAL STATEMENT
The captain could have refused help.
Maybe he did, maybe he didn't.
The captain could have refused to pilot the
ship.
but he didn't.
The Titanic could have been off course, too
far north.
Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't.
The captain could have held emergency
practices.
but he didn't.
The captain of the ship Californian could have
ignored the call.
Maybe he did, maybe he didn't.
The White Star Line could have supplied more
boats.
but they didn't.
7. Should Have
Late Advice
Should have — advice given after-the-fact
ADVICE
HYPOTHETICAL CAUSE - EFFECT
STATEMENTS
1) Include more life boats and better
deployment (lowering them)
The owners should have had enough space in
the lifeboats for everyone on board.
The crew should have known how to lower the
boats even if the ship was tipping over.
2) Require faster emergency response from
other ships in the area.
The captains of
the Californian and Carpathia should have
had their radios on.
They should have responded to distress flares
that were shot in the sky.
3) Be more watchful in shipping lanes where
icebergs exist.
The captain should have listened to earlier
reports of icebergs in the area.
8. SHOULD HAVE AND COULD HAVE
Should (not)
Have + Past Participle
Could (not)
Important to Remember
9. Something else
• We could use could (or might or may) + have + past participle to speculate about the past.
• We use it to say that a past event was possible but didn’t happen.
• We use should + have + past participle to express past regrets ( I should have worked harder) or to
criticize past actions. (You should have worked harder)
11. We use it for no possibility
If I had won the lottery, I would have bought a car.
e.g.
Third conditional talks about the past, about a condition in the past that
did not happen. That is why there is no possibility for this condition. The third
conditional is also like a dream, but with no possibility of the dream coming
true.
12. According to the previous statement we can say that
So the condition was not true, and that particular condition can never be true because it is
finished. We use the Past Perfect tense to talk about the impossible past condition. We
use would have + past participle to talk about the impossible past result. The important
thing about the third conditional is that both the condition and result are
impossible now.
