Could Have / Should Have / Would Have Exercise 1

Make a sentence with a past modal.

1. I __________________________ (buy) bread but I didn't know we needed it. (past possibility)
2. We ___________________________________ (invite) so many people to our party! I'm
worried that we won't have enough room for everyone. (past negative advice / regret)
3. I _________________________________ (start) saving money years ago! (past advice / regret)
4. We ___________________________________ (join) you at the restaurant, but we couldn't get
a babysitter. (past willingness)
5. The weather ___________________________________ (be) any worse! (past negative
possibility)
6. I ___________________________________ (arrive) on time, even if I'd left earlier. There
were dreadful traffic jams all the way. (past negative possibility)
7. They ___________________________________ (win) the football match, but John hurt his
ankle. (past possibility)
8. Amanda ___________________________________ (finish) the work, but she felt ill and had
to go home. (past willingness)
9. Lucy ___________________________________ (left) earlier. She missed her flight. (past
advice / regret)
10. We ___________________________________ (finish) the game, even if we'd wanted to. It
was raining very hard and we had to stop. (past negative possibility)
11. I ___________________________________ (eat) so much chocolate! I feel sick! (past
negative advice / regret)
12. Luke ___________________________________ (pass) the exam if he'd studied a bit more.
(past possibility)
13. John ___________________________________ (call) Amy, but he didn't have her number.
(past willingness)
14. You ___________________________________ (be) rude to him. He's going to be really angry
now. (past negative advice / regret)
15. She ___________________________________ (come) to the restaurant if she'd left work
earlier. (past possibility)
16. You ___________________________________ (take) this job. I can see you're not enjoying it.
(past negative advice / regret)

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 17. The race was really difficult. She ___________________________________ (win) because
she's not fit enough. (past negative possibility)
18. Our neighbours ___________________________________ (cut) down the tree in their garden.
It was a really beautiful tree. (past negative advice / regret)
19. The children ___________________________________ (do) their homework last night. Then
they wouldn't be panicking on the way to school. (past advice / regret)
20. I'm really cold! I ________________________________ (bring) my coat. (past advice / regret)
21. I ___________________________________ (come) to see you! I didn't know you were ill.
(past willingness)
22. Andrew ___________________________________ (go) to Cambridge University, but he
decided to travel instead. (past possibility)
23. They ___________________________________ (be) kinder to me. They were absolutely
lovely. (past negative possibility)
24. You ___________________________________ (buy) some milk at the shops. We don't have
any milk. (past advice / regret)
25. They ___________________________________ (come) to have breakfast with us, but they
went to bed too late the night before. (past willingness)

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 Could, Should and Would Exercise

— could ­ options I could go to her party if I wanted to

— should ­ advice I should go to her party. If not, she’ll be upset
— would ­ imagining I would go to her party if she invited me

Fill the gaps with could, shoud or would.

1 It ............................... never occur to my boss to give me a raise.

2 You ............................... phone your Mum at least twice a week.

3 If I had the money, I............................... travel the world.
4 I............................... ask her out to dinner if I had the courage.

5 You ............................... get a laptop. They’re so convenient.

6 I’ve got an exam on Monday so I ............................... stay in this weekend.
7 I ............................... either go on holiday to Budapest or buy a laptop.

8 You ............................... always hire a car if public transport is bad there.

9 You ............................... really buy a travel guide before you go to Central America.
10 I ............................... change job immediately if I were offered more money.

11 I think my brother ............................... live in Spain if he could get a decent job there.
12 You ............................... always change your flight if you want to stay in London more time.

www.autoenglish.org Written by Bob Wilson ©Robert Clifford McNair Wilson 2007

BBC Learning English
Grammar Challenge
‘Should have’
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Practice activities

Exercise 1:
Match the sentences on the left to the appropriate ones on the right.

1. My girlfriend left me. a. I shouldn't have gone to bed so late last

night.
2. She won't be able to finish her dinner. b. I should have prepared more
thoroughly.
3. This movie is really boring. c. I should have put on thicker socks.

4. I think that dress looks awful on her. d. She should have chosen a different
colour.
5. This food is burnt. e. I should have been nicer to her.

6. My feet are freezing! f. We should have chosen a romantic one.

7. I was really late for work today. g. She shouldn't have ordered so much.

8. The interview didn't go too well. h. You shouldn't have left it in the oven so
long.

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Exercise 2:
Read the sentence and choose the one option a-d which best fits the space.

1. I've got a terrible headache. I … all that beer.

a. shouldn't have drank
b. should've drink
c. should've drunk
d. shouldn't have drunk

2. I went to work yesterday, even though I felt ill. Today I feel even worse. I … .
a. shouldn't have stayed at home
b. shouldn't have gone to work
c. should have stayed at home
d. should have gone to work

3. My kids are so spoilt. I should have … with them.

a. been stricter
b. stricted
c. being stricter
d. been stricting

4. You didn't believe me, but I was telling the truth. You should … me.
a. believed
b. have believed
c. have believe
d. have believing

5. Mary only married Doug for his money. Now he thinks his friends ... .
a. should have warned him about her.
b. shouldn't have warned him about her.
c. should have warned her about him.
d. shouldn't have warned her about him.

6. He wasn't wearing his seatbelt, so he was injured in the crash. He should have … it.
a. wore
b. wearing
c. worn
d. wored

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Grammar Challenge bbclearningenglish.com ©BBC Learning English 2007

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