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“She might have eaten my cake.” Is the speaker sure that she did? Let’s learn past modals!
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Warm up
- Watch this clip. Why is Hagrid frustrated with himself?
- Watch the clip again and put the words below in the right order. "What that dog is guarding is strictly between professor Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel." "Nicholas Flamel?" "I should …” (said/have/not/that)
- Match the following words: subject, III verb form, modal verb, auxiliary verb
I →
should →
have →
said →
- Is the second sentence describing the present, past or future?
I should go now. → present
I should have gone yesterday. → p…
Theory part 1 - the construction
Exercise 1
Fill in the gaps.
- I … (could/go) to the party, but I had to study for my exam.
- She’s not here? She … (might/miss) her flight.
- He … (must/be) tired after working all day last Monday.
- She … (might/lose) her keys, that's why she can't find them.
- He … (should/know) better than to trust that person.
- … I … earlier yesterday? (should/come)
- Ann … (could/not/eat) the cake. She’s allergic to nuts.
- Jack wasn’t feeling well so he … early. (might/leave)
- You really … (should/not/say) that! It was rude.
- … you … me the truth? (would/tell)
answers
- could have gone
- might have missed
- must have been
- might have lost
- should have known
- should I have come
- couldn’t have eaten
- might have left
- shouldn’t have said
- would you have told me
Theory part 2 - should have
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Exercise 2
Fill in the gaps and watch the clips to check your answers.
A. "Don't you think the ending was pretty wonderful?"
"I didn't watch the ending. I was too depressed. It just kept getting worse and worse. It … (should/be) called 'it's a sucky life and just when you think it can't suck anymore it does”
B. "So Nadia wasn't just a distraction?"
"No, 100% real. Handsome, cool, hair as thick as a collie's. I found you the perfect guy, and you drove him off."
"Ugh. I'm sorry. I … (should/trust) you. Please call him and tell him I messed up.”
C. "I've been noticing (that) I've been saying things to myself like "Why did you say that, that sounded so stupid or I … (should/not/do) that, I … (should/know) better" and there's just a lot of defeating self-talk in there.”
D. "Sorry for snooping around and finding your old man doll."
"In Colombia, if you snoop around the wrong box, you might end up inside that box."
"I … (should/not/do) it. Now I feel bad for Manny.”
E. "You did a terrific job, doctor."
"Of course I did. What did you expect?"
"Do you believe this guy?"
"I know what I ... (should/do) I could have really showed him. (I) … (should/die) right there on the table."
"Oh boy. Wouldn't we have had the last laugh?"
"Well, you would”
Exercise 3
should not have = shouldn’t have = shouldn’t’ve
The third option is used in spoken English. Listen to the pronunciation carefully and read the transcripts aloud.
"When you're lying, you use contractions. Lots of'em."
"I've lost control. I shouldn't've"
"It was the "shouldn't've" that finally tipped me off. I've never heard you use a double contraction before."
"And you never will again. I was at rock bottom.”
Exercise 4
Read the sentences and tell me what I should have or should not have done.
- I went to bed at 3 am last night and now I'm exhausted.
- I ate too much junk food and now I feel sick.
- I spent all my money shopping online and now I'm broke.
- I procrastinated on my essay and now I'm stressed.
- I skipped breakfast this morning and now I'm starving.
- I ate the whole cake and now I feel sick.
- I want to go to the cinema but all tickets are sold out.
- It’s raining and I don’t have an umbrella.
- I overslept and I’m late for work.
- I stayed up late playing video games and now I can't concentrate in class.
- I didn't wear sunscreen at the beach and now I'm sunburnt.
- I drank too much coffee and now I'm jittery. jittery - slightly shaking in an uncontrolled way or nervous
- I didn't stretch before my workout and now my muscles are sore.
- I watched a scary movie before bed and now I can't sleep.
- I took on too many projects at work and now I'm overwhelmed.
Extra practice!
Say each answer three times. Use should not have, shouldn’t have and shouldn’t’ve.
Theory part 3 - must have, can’t have, might have…
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If you’re 100% sure, you don’t need past modals. You can simply say, “She killed him.”
Is it a piece of cake? Here’s some extra info for you! 🍰
→ We don’t use “can” as a past modal.
You can have told me. ❌
→ We can use “can’t” as a synonym for “couldn’t”
You can’t have met many decent wizards. ✔️
→ When we describe relief because something didn’t happen, we don’t use “may”. Use “could” or “might” instead.
You may have been hurt! ❌
You could have been hurt! ✔️
You might have been hurt! ✔️
→ In the negative, the degree of certainty doesn’t change for most modal verbs.
You must have heard me! - I’m 95% sure
You must not have heard me. - I’m 95 % sure
You may/might have heard me. - I’m 50 % sure
You may not/might not have heard me. - I’m 50 % sure
→ “could” is a bit different
She could have eaten the cake. - I’m 50 % sure
She couldn’t have eaten the cake. - I’m 95 % sure
Exercise 5
Fill in the gaps and watch the clips to check your answers. There will be more than one answer correct.
A. “Stop, I … my croissant” (drop/the speaker is not sure)
B. "You can feel the burnout as you enter your senior year of college, the lack of interest in a subject you ...” (love/the speaker is not sure)
C. “It's gone. He took it. He must have”
“He doesn't eat it. He … it.”
”Look, what's this?”
(not/take/the speaker is sure)
D. "I started climbing down this fire escape and then I heard a cop yell to put your hands up, so I did. And I fell onto him."
"You … killed. You're supposed to be an adult” (be/the speaker isn’t sure)
E. "Dobby has heard of your greatness, sir. But never has he been asked to sit down by a wizard like an equal."
"You … many decent wizards then.” (not/meet/the speaker is sure)
F. "Remember that time on the frozen lake we were playing chess, you said I was boring and then you took off your energy mask and you were Cameron Diaz. Okay there's a chance this … a dream“ (be/the speaker isn’t sure)
G. "It …. love but it’s over now“ (be/the speaker is sure)
Play the song at 1:03
Exercise 6
Murder mystery! 💀
A murder took place last night at the local park. The victim, Justyna, was found dead by a jogger at 6 am this morning. Justyna was last seen walking her dog, Wyatt, a massive border collie mix, at 6 pm the day before. Wyatt has since vanished without a trace…
The police have identified 9 suspects. Short, grey fur was found on Justyna’s body. Your task is to read the following sentences and use the past modals of certainty to rule out suspects and identify the true culprit.
- Aneta claimed she was at a wine tasting event with her friends that evening. She even showed a picture of her car parked at the venue.
- Anna said she was working from home that night. She went for a walk with her dog, Mia at around 5:30pm.
- Aneta came home at 8 pm and took her dog, Masza, for a walk. She claimed that she didn’t meet Justyna at the park that evening.
- Ewelina claims that she bumped into Justyna at 5:40 pm while leaving the gym, just as Justyna was passing the gym walking her dog. After a brief chat, they parted ways at 5:45. Ewelina returned home and spent the evening with her husband and her daughter.
- Kaja claimed that she was working late at the office on the night of the murder, two of her co-workers corroborated her statement.
- Anna claimed that she saw Justyna in the park but didn’t stop to chat because Mia isn’t very fond of Wyatt. According to Anna, Justyna seemed nervous. She mentioned, however, that she noticed Madzia in the park.
- Adam, who lives near the park, stated that he heard a scream around 6 pm. He didn't investigate the situation because his dog, Rufus was sick at the time, and he urgently needed to take him to the vet for treatment. The veterinary clinic later confirmed that Adam arrived there with his pet at 6:20 pm and stayed there for two hours.
- Madzia claimed that she was away on a job the night of the murder, conducting a workshop in Poznań. She said that her cat, Nezumi, was left in the care of a neighbour while she was out of town.
- That night, Ola went to the park to play board games with her friends. She stated that she was at the park throughout the evening. Ola also said that she didn't see Justyna, and the pictures on her Instagram place her on the opposite side of the park.
- Kaja mentioned that she has always wanted to adopt another border collie, given that she already has one, Chrupek. Her dog and Wyatt got along very well.
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Interesting vocab:
vanish without a trace - disappear without information to show where they went
rule out - to state that something isn’t possible
culprit /ˈkʌl.prɪt/ - a person guilty of a crime
venue - a place where a meeting is held
part ways - to go in different directions after being together
corroborate - to confirm, support with evidence
be fond of - to like
urgently - in a way that needs immediate attention
conduct - direct a specific activity, e.g. workshop, research, experiment
throughout - during a period of time, in every part
given - taking into account
Exercise 6.2 Let’s practise those words. Fill in the gaps.
1. As a child, Tim was … of spending hours reading books, immersing himself in the adventures and stories that filled the pages. (like)
2. … her age, it’s remarkable that she can already count! (taking into account)
3. The organizers chose a beautiful, historic building as the … for the upcoming international conference. (a place of a meeting)
4. The rain fell steadily … the night, filling the streets with puddles by morning. (during a period of time)
5. The school sent a letter to parents, urging them to … discuss the importance of online safety with their children. (needing immediate attention)
6. The fingerprints found at the crime scene … the investigator's theory that the suspect had been present during the burglary. (confirm)
7. When Sarah returned to the spot where she had left her bicycle, she discovered it had … without a trace. (disappear)
8. After an extensive investigation, the detectives finally gathered enough evidence to expose the … and bring them to justice. (a person guilty of a crime)
9. The company's human resources department … workshops for employees, covering topics such as communication skills, teamwork, and conflict resolution. (direct the workshops)
Answers
- fond
- given
- venue
- throughout
- urgently
- corroborated
- vanished
- culprit
- conducts
Who could have done it?
Read the answer
As you continue your investigation, you discover discrepancies in Madzia's alibi. Magdalena and Kristýna recall seeing Madzia at the park on the night of the murder, contradicting Madzia's claim that she was out of town. This revelation raises suspicions about Madzia's involvement in the crime.
Upon re-examining the short, grey fur found on Justyna's body, it is revealed that the fur actually belonged to a cat, not a border collie mix. You recall that Madzia has a grey cat named Nezumi. With this newfound evidence, the police confront Madzia about her alibi and the cat fur.
Under pressure, Madzia finally confesses to the murder. It turns out she was envious of Justyna's dog, Wyatt, and wanted to adopt him for herself. Madzia had been threatening Justyna in an attempt to convince her to give up Wyatt. When Justyna refused to comply, Madzia killed her in a fit of jealousy and took Wyatt.
With Madzia's confession, the police arrest her for Justyna's murder. Wyatt is found in Madzia's possession.
on/at night
on - refers to a specific night
On the night of the murder I was out of town.
at - refers to any night in general
I don’t like to drive at night.
Exercise 7
Let’s revise all the past modals we’ve learnt so far and use them in a conversation.
- Tell me about something you should have done yesterday but you didn’t.
- Tell me about something you could have done at work today but you didn’t.
- Have you ever said something in English that you shouldn’t have? Maybe you didn’t know the meaning of the word or phrase?
- Could you have become a musician if you had chosen a different career path?
- You come home after work and your fridge is empty. Who might have eaten your food?
- Tell me about something your pet/friend can’t have done while you were on holiday last time.
- Have you ever been in a situation in which you may have been seriously injured?
- Have you ever accidentally entered a place you shouldn’t have?
- Can you think of a time when you must have been mistaken about something?
- Can you think of a situation where you should have trusted your intuition?
Theory part 4 - would have
Exercise 8
Complete the sentences. Make up the situations.
- I …, but it was too cold outside.
- She …, but she didn't have your number.
- He …, but the book was boring.
- They …, but they couldn't leave kids alone at home.
- I would have joined the club, but I …
- She …, but she didn't have any ingredients.
- He …, but he was too busy with work.
- They …, but they didn’t have the money.
- I …, but I didn't meet the requirements.
- She …, but she ran out of ideas.
Does this construction look familiar? It’s part of the third conditional.
→ I would have come to the meeting if I had known that it was at 6pm.
→ We would have gone to the beach if it hadn’t been raining.
→ If I’d had your number, I would have called you.
You don’t need to use the third conditional, though. You can absolutely say, “I would have come to the meeting, but I didn’t know it was at 6pm.”
Exercise 9
Fill in the gaps and watch clips to check your answers.
A. "Sir, I've been looking all over for you."
“Well, son, if you had looked where I was, I … (be) right there.”
B. “You’re lucky to be here too. A few more hours and you … (be) beyond our aid.”
C. “I can't believe two cows made the ultimate sacrifice so you guys can watch TV with your feet up.”
”They were chair-shaped cows. They never … (survive) in the wild.”
D. "The 70's were not a good time for the city or for the department. Corruption, brutality, sexism. Diaz and Santiago never … (make) detective, and an openly gay man like me - I never … (be) given a command.”
E. "Just then, Pooh spotted a note."
"I did?"
"Certainly. Just there at your feet."
"Well, it's a good thing I noticed it. Otherwise, I … (not/see) it.”
G. “They don't even have real roads. They have roads and dirt. I'm sure somebody in chat was there, right? It's literally 40 minutes of rock and dirt, like I … (go) to Yosemite or something if I wanted to go hiking and at least I … (see) a waterfall at the end.”
F. "There are some games that if I didn't do a let's play of them, I … (not/enjoy) the game at all. Death Stranding is a good example of this. I think I … (enjoy) it a bit”
Exercise 10
In this video, you’ll see 10 scenes from Harry Potter which have been deleted. Fill in the gaps and then watch the video to check your answers.
A We … to see this in the final cut. (would/love)
B This deleted scene … exactly how hurt and lonely Harry was. (would/show)
C It … set up the clues a lot better. (would/help)
D Which scene …the final battle so much better? (would/make)
The creators of the video say that these scenes shouldn’t have been deleted. Do you agree? Watch the full video and answer the question.
Exercise 11
The Titanic controversy! 🚢 Let’s mix things up.
1. Do you think that Jack could have fit on the door with Rose?
2. Fill in the gaps and watch the clip to see what Kate Winslet has to say about this matter.
"I have one video I wanna show you because I've had the privilege over the years of talking to your old buddy, Leo and I asked him the question you all hate getting asked. Ok, biggest movie controversy of all time. … Jack … (could/fit) on that door at the end of Titanic?"
"Oh my gosh, I thought it. I remember bawling my eyes out when I was a girl"
"I have no comment"
"That's telling I think"
"… you … (could/squeeze) there?"
"No comment"
"What's your attitude about that silly question after all these years?"
"I don't fucking know. That's the answer. It's that I don't fucking know. One thing I can honestly tell you. If you put two adults on a stand-up paddleboard, it becomes immediately unstable. I actually don't believe that we … (would/survive) if we had both gotten on that door. It … (would/not/be) a sustainable idea. So you heard it here for the first time. Yes, he … (could/fit) on that door but it … (would/not/stay) afloat.”
