7 Advisability in the

Past

Home Alone

Focus on Grammar 4
Part VII, Unit 16
By Ruth Luman, Gabriele Steiner, and BJ Wells
Copyright © 2006. Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
 Home
Home Alone
Alone 11

When
Joe
Last
. and
.Amy
.so
month,
Amy
Amy
returned,
have
Amy’s
went been
the
back
mother
house
married
to her
had
was
hometown
less
an aoperation.
than
tomess!
take
a year.
care
. . of her.
 Home
Home Alone
Alone 22
You could have paid the phone bill.
You ought to have fed the cat!
You might have taken out the trash.
What’s so hard about that?

You shouldn’t have gone away.

You could have stayed at home.
You should have taken care of me,
not left me on my own.
 Home
Home Alone
Alone 33
You should have done the laundry.
You might have washed the car!
At least you could have mowed the lawn.
SPOILED! Is what you are!

You’ve made it very clear.

I really need a maid.
Go back to your mother’s, dear.
That’s where you should have stayed.
 Modals
Modals of
of Advisability
Advisability
Use modals to talk about actions and states that
were advisable in the past, but did not happen.

should have
ought to have past
could have + participle
might have

You should have done the laundry.

 Contractions
Contractions
Use contractions in informal writing and
speaking.

Joe
Joe
could
could’ve
have mowed the lawn.

HeHe
might
might’ve
have washed the car.

You
Youshould not have gone away.
shouldn’t
 Negative
Negative Statements
Statements
Use should not have and ought not to
have for negative statements.

You shouldn’t have gone away.

Amy ought not to have left.

 Read the police report about a
Practice 1 robbery. Discuss what this family
should or shouldn’t have done.

Robbery at 1301 Maple Street, June 7, 2005.

Estimated loss: Substantial.
No forced entry. No alarm. Door opened with key found
under welcome mat. Neighbors report empty garbage cans at
curb for several days. Lawn overgrown. Newspapers piled up
on front steps. Curtains open and electronic equipment
visible from street. Car unlocked.

Example: They shouldn’t have put a key

under the mat. That’s the obvious place to look.
 Questions
Questions
Should have is the most common form used
in questions.

Should Amy Should Joe

have stayed have done
at home? the laundry?
 Short
Short Answers
Answers
Use the modal and have to make short
answers.

Should Amy Should Joe

Yes, she
have
No,stayed
he have done
should
at home?
shouldn’t the have.
laundry?
have.
 Pronunciation
Pronunciation 11
In informal speech, have in modal phrases is
often pronounced like the word of.

Joe might of taken out the trash.

Joe might have taken out the trash.

Do not write of instead of have.

 Pronunciation
Pronunciation 22
In informal speech, to in ought to is
pronounced like the word a.

Joe ought to have fed the cat.

He ought to have trimmed the
hedge.
 Here are some problems you
Practice 2 faced yesterday morning. What
should you have done?

Example: You overslept and were late to work.

1. According to the scale, you gained five pounds.

2. You had no clean socks.

3. There was no hot water.

I ought to have set the alarm.

I4.might
You couldn’t find the
have gone to car
bedkeys.
earlier.

I5.shouldn’t
You forgothave
to feed the dog.
gone to that party!
 References
References

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education and

its licensors. All rights reserved.