Should have
Use:
- Should have can be used to show something that you regret doing or not doing. It means that something did not happen but you wished it had happened.
Examples:
I should have left home early.
(I left home late and missed the bus. Now I wish that the past was different.)
He should have practiced more for the game.
(He did not practice enough and lost the game.)
- Another use of should have is to talk about something you expected to happen but didn’t happen or only happened later on.
Examples:
The package should have arrived today, but I haven’t heard from the courier yet.
( I was expecting a package, but it is not here.)
I am having a late lunch. It should have been prepared hours ago.
(The food was prepared late. It has just been served.)
The negative form of “should have” is “should not have“.
Form:
| I You He/She It We They | should have + past participle should’ve shouldn’t have + past participle | I should have trusted you. I shouldn’t have called you. |
Might Have
Use:
- Might have shows an opinion about a past situation. We believe that the action possibly happened, but we don’t know for sure.
Examples:
He might have left the office.
(It is possible that he has left the office, but it is also possible he has stayed at the office.)
She might have told him the truth.
(It is possible that she has told him the truth, but it is also possible that she has told him something else.)
The negative form of “might have” is “might not have“. The contracted form is “mightn’t have“.
Form:
| I You He / She It We They | might have + past participle might not have + past participle | I might have left a message in his voicemail. I might have gone to the store. |
In the positive form, we can use “by now“.
They might have completed it by now.
She might have showered by now.
He might have arrived by now.
In the negative form, can use “yet”.
They might not have completed it yet.
She might not have showered yet.
He might not have arrived yet.