(TOEIC) can/ would have + p.p. ...

Question

I ________ have called you sooner, but our telephones weren't working.a) willb) wouldc) couldd) mustThe correct answer is b, but I wonder why c isn't a good one too? Please advise.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

Possible, I suppose, but if the phones weren't working, he couldn't have, could he?

CalifJim · Answer

LcchangI wonder why c isn't a good one too?

Yikes! "I could have called you sooner" > "I was able to call you".
And "Our telephones weren't working" > "I was not able to call you."

It's a contradiction. You can't say "I was able, but I was not able".

CJ

Lcchang · Answer

Hi CJ,

What I have learned from grammar books is, in conditional sentences, "could have + past participle" means an unreal statement or something may or may not have occurred in the past.
If I had gone to the party, I could have seen her there.=> I didn't go to the party, so I didn't see her.
Maybe you have a better different view on this. Please advise.

LChang

CalifJim · Answer

LcchangIf I had gone to the party, I could have seen her there.=> I didn't go to the party, so I didn't see her.

Yes, this is true, but in this case, the clause with could occurs only under the condition mentioned in the if-clause.

In the case of telephoning someone which you quoted at the beginning of the thread, there is no condition.

So it turns out that "could have" has more than one meaning, depending on context. In the examples we are discussing here, it can be "was able to" or "would have been able to".

I could have phoned = I was able to phone.
If the phone had been working, I could have phoned. = If the phone had been working, I would have been able to phone.

CJ

Lcchang · Answer

Thank you soooooo much.

(TOEIC) can/ would have + p.p. ...

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