Past

Could + have + p.p

Couldn’t + have + p.p
Must + have + p.p
May + have + p.p
Might + have + p.p

Use past modals to speculate about the possible reasons:

1. Hector had a date.

may __________________________________________________________________
Hector may have gone a party

must __________________________________________________________________
Hector must have gone at home

might __________________________________________________________________
Hector might have been sick

2. Your phone wasn’t in your bag.

could __________________________________________________________________
Phone could have been in the trouser bag

must __________________________________________________________________
Phone must have been in the hand

might Phone have forgotten in the bed

__________________________________________________________________

3. You texted your friend, but they haven’t replied. must y could muy seguro
might 50 50
couldn´t __________________________________________________________________
My friend could't have held the phone

might __________________________________________________________________
He might have read the university book.
He may have sowed a flowers in the garden
may __________________________________________________________________

4. You hear a loud bang outside.

couldn’t__________________________________________________________________
The loud bang couldn't been an event
Loud bamg could have someone speeded in the car or motorcicle
could____________________________________________________________________

might____________________________________________________________________
Loud bang might have someone forgotten the speed limit.

5. Your friend failed her exam.

may not__________________________________________________________________
My friernd may not have studied with time

couldn’t __________________________________________________________________
He couldn't have understood the topics.

He might have thought in his problems

might_________________________________________________________________
Which past modal verbs have you heard?

Complete the sentences with the past modal verbs:

…………………………………………. spent more time with her boyfriend.

………………………………………………… made different choices in her life.

……………………………………………. talked to him, but she was too busy.

What should they have done?

1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 6. 7. 8.

Think of a time where something didn’t go well for you. Say what went wrong/
what you should have done but didn’t.
e.g. I didn’t prepare my Trinity topic. I must have started earlier but I had to study for my exams at school.

e.g. I worked as a tax advisor for 6 years. I should have become an engineer

e.g . I failed my exam. I could have studied harder.