ADVISABILITY IN THE PAST

1. INTRODUCTION:
ADVISABILITY IN THE PAST is using for talking about situations, actions
and states in order to inform that were advisable or were Good Ideas in
the past, but didnt happen. The modals, in most case, communicate a
feeling of regret or blame.

2. BODY:
2.1.

BASIC FORM:

SUBJECT +
PARTICIPLE

2.1.1.

MODAL +

HAVE

PAST

AFIRMATIVE FORM:

SHOULD
SUBJECT +OUGHT TO
PARTICIPLE COULD
MIGHT

+HAVE +PAST

I told you we should have built fences.

2.1.2.

NEGATIVE FORM: We can use only should not or ought not

to in the negative form:

SUBJECT +
PARTICIPLE

SHOULD
NOT
OUGHT NOT

+HAVE +PAST

We ought not to have told that joke in the office.

2.1.3. QUESTION:

Should have is the most common form used.

+ SUBJECT + HAVE +PAST PARTICIPLE+

SHOULD?

Should you have run in the field?

2.1.4. PRONUNCIATION NOTES:

You can pronounced the word
HAVE, like OF, that in informal speech.

COULD HAVE
SHOULD HAVE
OUGHT
TO
.

COULD OF
SHOULD OF
OUGHTA

3. CONCLUSIONS:
Use the advisability in the past to describe situation and to show
regrets or blames.
CONTRACTIONS:
Should have
Could have
Might have
Should not have

:
:
:
:

Shouldve.
Couldve.
Mightve.
Shouldnt have.

4. REFERENCES:
SUMMIT 1, JOAN SASLOW, ALLEN ASCHER, Pearson Logman 2006.
FOCUS ON GRMMAR, THIRD EDITION, MARJORIE FUCHS
MARGARET BONNER, Pearson Logman 2006.
www.englishch-hilfen.de/en/grammar/pres_pro.htm.
www.commnet.edu/grammar /tenses/present-progressive.htm.
www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/present-progressive
http://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/speculating-aboutpast-events
http://www.englishisapieceofcake.com/third-conditional.html
http://www.jantoo.com/cartoons/keywords/regrets