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Anonymous Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

Modals+present perfect?

Hello!

As far as I know, the modal verbs can be used with the present perfect.

I have made up these sentences, if it's possible to check them.

1. I can't find my keys. You could have left them at home.
2. They didn't accept my CV. I should have written it more clearly.
3. I lost my wallet. Someone might have found it.
4. She didn't pass the exams. She must have studied harder.
  

Top answer

Anonymous 1. I can't find my keys. 2.

— Ivanhr

  • Anonymous 1.
  • I can't find my keys.
  • 2.
  • They didn't accept my CV.
  • 3.
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6 Answers
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Anonymous1. I can't find my keys. You could have left them at home.2. They didn't accept my CV. I should have written it more clearly.3. I lost my wallet. Someone might have found it.4. She didn't pass the exams. She must have studied harder.
1. I can't find my keys. You must have left them at home.

2. They didn't accept my CV. I should
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AnonymousHello!As far as I know, the modal verbs can be used with the present perfect.I have made up these sentences, if it's possible to check them.1. I can't find my keys. You could have left them at home.2. They didn't accept my CV. I should have written it more clearly.3. I lost my wallet. Someone might have found it.4. She didn't pass the exams. She must have studied
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Ivanhrmust have + present participle structure
It's past participle.
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fivejedjonthough the second sentence in the fourth pair is illogical
So you don't find anything illogical with the second sentence in the first pair? To me, 'could have left' suggests that he had the ability to leave the keys at home, which doesn't make much sense, I think.
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IvanhrSo you don't find anything illogical with the second sentence in the first pair?
A: I can't find my keys.
B: You could have left them at home. (It is possible that you left them at home.)

It's logical, and quite commonly used.

By the way, this construction is sometimes called the "modal perfect."
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AlpheccaStarsB: You could have left them at home. (It is possible that you left them at home.)
Yes, that's certainly possible. I only asked because I would have used 'might have left', which is similar to 'could have left' but focuses more on the logic of the actual event.

For the sake of argument, If person B added a third sentence e.g. "I told you
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