Is this sentence correct?

Question

He should have received the first mail yesterday. I am going to send the other one.Is this sentence correct with should have? The meaning is,  I expect he received the first mail yesterday, right??

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

tenjingThe meaning is, I expect he received

Right. Your use of "should have" is correct.

He should have received ~ I [expect / assume / believe / suppose / take it as true] that he (has) received
~ If everything went as I expected, he (has) received ...

CJ

Tenjing · Answer

Thanks a lot CJ. You are always great. I was confused about using adverbs like yesterday, ago. These only go with the past tense right. For examples,
A. He should have arrived ten fifteen minutes ago. I am going to meeting them.

CalifJim · Answer

tenjingA. He should have arrived ten ~~fifteen~~ minutes ago.

Either "ten minutes ago" or "fifteen minutes ago". It can't be both.

Otherwise, correct.

tenjingadverbs like yesterday, ago. These only go with the past tense right.

Right, including the continuous form.

It happened [yesterday / several days ago].
We were doing that [yesterday / several days ago].

CJ

Tenjing · Answer

You mean we can also use continuous form to show expectations. For examples,
A. He should have been waiting for me while I was talking to a guy. It means I expect he was waiting for me while I was talking to a guy, right?
B. He should have been waiting for me downstairs now. I am going to meet him. Is this correct? I have a doubt here. I expect he is waiting for me downstairs.

CalifJim · Answer

tenjingYou mean we can also use continuous form to show expectations.

Yes. The continuous form is something about the verb that is independent of an expectation. It's two different things.

tenjingA. He should have been waiting for me ... It means I expect he was waiting for me ...?

He should have been waiting for me is correct.

tenjingB. He should have been waiting for me downstairs now.

No. "should have" is about the past. "now" is about the present. You can't have both.

He should have been waiting for me ~ I expected him to be waiting for me

It is both continuous (waiting) and about an expectation (should have).
__________

If you want the present (with now):

He should be waiting for me downstairs now.

CJ

Tenjing · Answer

Could you check these sentences? Ist to make sure, I am clear.
A. He should have spent the whole day watching movies. (Because he is usually doesn't go out when he has a day off, so I expect so)
B. He should have lied to me that he was sick. (Because my one friend saw him playing soccer)
C. He should have been watching a football match on the TV around 4 pm. (Because there was a match between Manchester united and Barcelona at that time)

Do you think I am all clear about 'should've'?

CalifJim · Answer

tenjingDo you think I am all clear about 'should've'?

There are two meanings for "should".

1. Advice
2. Expectation

So far I have only seen cases where you wished to use the expectation meaning. Some of the sentences you have posted are more likely to be interpreted with the "advice" meaning.

A. He should have spent the whole day watching movies. ... (Because he is usually doesn't go out when he has a day off, so I expect so)
....1. It would have been a good idea for him to spend the whole day watching movies.
....2. [ A native speaker would not be likely to interpret this with "expect". ]

For the expectation meaning, we would say: He probably spent the whole day watching movies.
_____________________

B. He should have lied to me that he was sick. (Because ~~my one friend~~ one of my friends saw him playing soccer)
.... 1. It would have been a good idea for him to lie to me about being sick.
.... 2. [ A native speaker would not be likely to interpret this with "expect". ]

For the expectation meaning, we would say: He probably lied to me that he was sick, but the situation that you set up lends itself more to the use of "must":

One of my friends saw him playing soccer, so he must have lied to me about being sick.
______________________

C. He should have been watching a football match on the TV around 4 pm. (Because there was a match between Manchester united and Barcelona at that time)
.... 1. It would have been a good idea for him to watch a football match on TV around 4 pm.
.... 2. [ A native speaker would not be likely to interpret this with "expect". ]

For the expectation meaning, we would say: He was probably watching a football match on TV around 4 pm.

CJ

Tenjing · Answer

As you said 'should've' can be use for two meanings advice and expectations. Actually I am already all clear about using 'should've' to show advice. I am just trying to use should with the perfect form and perfect continuous form to show expectations. Could you please show some sentences with could've and could've + present participle with the meaning of 'expectation' if possible ,please.

All above sentences were about expectations, by the way.

CalifJim · Answer

tenjingAll above sentences were about expectations

The problem is that no native speaker would take them that way.

Most sentences with should or should have have either the advice meaning or the expectation meaning, but not both. It's not possible to make these expressions have one meaning or the other. The context determines the meaning.

tenjingCould you please show some sentences with could've and could've + present participle with the meaning of 'expectation' if possible

could have has no 'expectation' meaning.

It has a 'possibility' meaning and an 'ability' meaning, and maybe even some others.

Luke could have done that. (It is possible that Luke did that; Maybe Luke did that.)
Luke could have done that. (Luke had the ability to do that, even though he didn't.)

CJ

Tenjing · Answer

Actually,  that was 'should've' not 'could've'. (Typing problem)  Sorry.

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