A
How is past obligation (i.e. there was no other choice) expressed?
HAD TO
What's the past of MUST?
HAD TO
How is past NECESSITY expressed?
needed to/ didn't need to
needn't have to
How can we CRITICIZE past actions?
How is SPECULATION about the past expressed?
MUST HAVE
MAY/ MIGHT/ COULD HAVE
CAN'T/ COULDN'T HAVE
Which past modal expresses something that was done but wasn't really necessary: didn't need to OR needn't have to?
NEEDN'T HAVE TO
When we are certain that a past action happened, what modal verb do we use: MUST HAVE, MAY/MIGHT/ COULD HAVE or CAN'T/ COULDN'T HAVE?
MUST
When we are certain that a past action didn't happen, what modal verb do we use: MUST HAVE, MAY/MIGHT/ COULD HAVE or CAN'T/ COULDN'T HAVE?
CAN'T/ COULDN'T
When we are not certain about a past action, what modal verb do we use: MUST HAVE, MAY/MIGHT/ COULD HAVE or CAN'T/ COULDN'T HAVE?
MAY/ MIGHT/ COULD HAVE
instead of SHOULD, we can also use ______
ought to
There was no choice but to buy the book:
a) They HAD TO BUY the book.
b) They MUST HAVE BOUGHT the book
a) They HAD TO BUY the book.
It was a waste of money buying that book:
a) I COULDN'T HAVE BOUGHT the book
b) I NEEDN'T HAVE BOUGHT the book
b) I NEEDN'T HAVE BOUGHT the book
I bet that was interesting:
a) That MUST HAVE BEEN interesting
b) That MAY HAVE BEEN interesting
a) That MUST HAVE BEEN interesting
Maybe, she forgot about the deadline
a) She MUST HAVE FORGOTTEN about the deadline
b) She COULD HAVE FORGOTTEN about the deadline
b) She COULD HAVE FORGOTTEN about the deadline
I regret not buying that camera:
a) I OUGHT TO HAVE BOUGHT that camera
b) I MUST HAVE BOUGHT that camera
a) I OUGHT TO HAVE BOUGHT that camera
I left my laptop at home because:
a) I DIDN'T NEED TO use it in the meeting.
b) I NEEDN'T HAVE TO use it in the meeting.
a) I DIDN'T NEED TO use it in the meeting.
I can't believe I brought my laptop. We didn't use it in the meeting:
a) I NEEDN'T HAVE BROUGHT my laptop
b) I DIDN'T NEED to bring my laptop
a) I NEEDN'T HAVE BROUGHT my laptop
Obviously, he didn't receive your message
a) He CAN'T HAVE RECEIVED your message
b) He MIGHT NOT HAVE RECEIVED your message
a) He CAN'T HAVE RECEIVED your message
Clearly, she hated that play
a) She MUST HAVE HATED that play
b) She SHOULD HAVE HATED that play
a) She MUST HAVE HATED that play
Before the quarantine, it wasn't necessary to clean all your groceries
a) You DIDN'T NEED TO clean all your groceries
b) You NEEDN'T HAVE TO clean all your groceries
a) You DIDN'T NEED TO clean all your groceries
Perhaps, Renata forgot the meeting
Renata MAY/MIGHT/ COULD HAVE forgotten the meeting
I wish I hadn't bought this hideous jacket
I OUGHTN'T TO/ SHOULDN'T HAVE BOUGHT this hideous jacket
Her bag is still here. It's impossible that she left
She CAN'T/ COULDN'T HAVE left
I regret not listening to her (SHOULD)
I ...
I should have listened to her
As far as communication is concerned, people had no choice but to send letters before the telephone was invented. (NEEDED)
As far as communication is concerned, people...
As far as communication is concerned, people needed to send letters before the telephone was invented.