Past Modals Exercises PDFSet 1: Should Have & Shouldn't Have: Past Regret and Criticism Exercises
20 questions·12 min·Answers included·Explanations included
Preview: Questions
Fill in the blank with the correct option.
1.I failed the exam because I didn't study. I ___ harder.
a) must have studiedb) should have studiedc) could have studiedd) would have studied
2.Tom ate the whole cake and now he feels sick. He ___ so much.
a) shouldn't have eatenb) mustn't have eatenc) couldn't have eatend) wouldn't have eaten
3.She arrived late to the interview. She ___ earlier.
a) would have leftb) should have leftc) must have leftd) could have left
4.You told everyone my secret! You ___ them.
a) couldn't have toldb) shouldn't have toldc) wouldn't have toldd) mustn't have told
5.We got completely lost on the hike. We ___ a map with us.
a) must have broughtb) would have broughtc) could have broughtd) should have brought
... and 15 more questions in the PDF
Preview: Answers
1.should have studied
2.shouldn't have eaten
3.should have left
4.shouldn't have told
5.should have brought
... and 15 more answers in the PDF
Preview: Explanations
1."should have studied"(b)
Use 'should have + past participle' to express regret about something you didn't do. The speaker regrets not studying harder. 'Must have studied' would mean a deduction (you are guessing someone studied). 'Could have studied' means it was possible but doesn't carry the same sense of regret.
2."shouldn't have eaten"(a)
Use 'shouldn't have + past participle' to criticise a past action — something someone did but it was a bad idea. Tom ate too much (he did it, but he shouldn't have). 'Mustn't have eaten' is not standard English; we say 'can't have eaten' for past impossibility.
3."should have left"(b)
Use 'should have left' to express that leaving earlier was the right thing to do, but she didn't do it. It expresses regret or criticism about a past action not taken.
4."shouldn't have told"(b)
Use 'shouldn't have told' to criticise someone for doing something wrong in the past. The speaker is angry because the other person DID tell the secret, but it was wrong to do so.
5."should have brought"(d)
Use 'should have brought' to express regret about not bringing a map. It was a good idea to bring one, but they didn't. 'Could have brought' means it was possible, but doesn't emphasise that it was the right thing to do.
... and 15 more explanations in the PDF
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