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Oxford Online English, Using Would Have, Could Have, Should Have - English Grammar Lesson

Using Would Have, Could Have, Should Have - English Grammar Lesson

Oh…

Hello!

Ah…

I should have prepared for this lesson, I guess.

Now I don't know what to say.

Whoops!

Martin!

You could have at least warned me.

Now what are we going to do?

I would have done it, but I was just so busy…

I could have done it if you'd told me.

Don't you have some notes, or something we can use?

I had some notes, but I can't find them.

Well, think about it: where could they be?

Not sure…

I could have left them on the bus.

I should never have agreed to do this video…

Hi, I'm Martin.

Welcome to Oxford Online English!

In this lesson, you can learn how to use would have, should have and could have.

These verbs—would, should, could, etc.—are modal verbs, so they don't have past forms

like normal verbs do.

Instead, you can talk about the past by adding have plus a past participle after the verb.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to use those modal verbs to talk about the past in

English, what they mean, and how they're different.

Sometimes, you have moments when your life could go in very different ways.

For example, maybe you take an important exam, and your result decides where you can go to

university.

Maybe you're thinking about moving to another country.

Do you stay where you are, or do you leave?

Perhaps you're in a relationship and things aren't going so well.

Do you stay and try to make it work, or do you move on?

Life is full of these important moments and decisions.

Try to think of something like this from your past.

Now, ask yourself: you made the choices you made.

You passed the exam, or you failed it; you moved to another country, or you didn't.

That's reality, but what if things had gone the other way?

This is the imaginary past.

You're imagining a different version of the past.

You're asking yourself questions like:

What if I had worked a bit harder, and passed that exam?

What if I had taken that job, and moved to Italy?

What if I had told her how I feel?

This is where you use would have.

Use would have to talk about the imaginary past.

For example:

If I had got better exam results, I would have got into Harvard.

I wouldn't have met my wife if I had moved to Italy seven years ago.

If I hadn't forgotten my pen that day, I wouldn't have asked to borrow yours, and

we wouldn't have become friends!

Think about your important moment from the past, when your life could have gone in two

very different directions: what would have happened if things had gone the other way?

So, you can use would have to talk about the imaginary past.

What about our other verbs?

Where do you suppose they are?

I don't know.

They're usually so reliable.

I guess they could have mixed up the date?

Shall we try calling them again?

We can't wait forever.

When will it be ready?

I think next Thursday.

You said you'd have it finished by the end of this week!

Now what am I going to do?

Sorry.

You could have told me sooner that you weren't going to finish on time.

Doctor, is it serious?

No, it's just a scratch, but be more careful next time.

You could have really hurt yourself!

You can also use could have to talk about the imaginary past:

If I'd had more time, I could have finished everything.

He could have won it if he hadn't slipped at the start.

When you use could have to talk about the imaginary past, you're talking about possibilities.

You're talking about opportunities and chances which you didn't have in reality,

but in your imaginary version of the past, you would have had these chances.

However, could have can also have different meanings. Let's look:

Here, you saw three more ways to use could have.

Remember that you can go back and review the dialogues if you need to.

Can you explain how could have is used in each of these dialogues?

Could have can mean that you aren't sure about something in the past.

You're talking about a possibility:

They could have mixed up the date.

I've lost my keys.

I could have left them at work.

Where are they?

I guess they could have missed the train.

In these examples, you aren't sure about something that happened in the past.

You use could have to make a guess about what happened.

You can also use could have to criticise someone:

You could have told me sooner.

You could have tidied up a bit.

You could have worn something a bit nicer.

In these examples, you want to criticise the other person for something they didn't do.

Finally, you can use could have to mean that somebody was lucky to avoid a bad situation

in the past:

It's just a scratch, but you could have really hurt yourself.

We were really late, and we could have missed our plane, but luckily we just made it.

Let's review quickly.

Could have has four different meanings.

Can you remember them?

You can use could have to talk about the imaginary past,

to guess about something in the past which you aren't sure about,

to criticise someone for something they didn't do,

and to say that someone was lucky to avoid a bad situation.

Next, what about should have?

You just saw that could have can be used to criticise someone.

Should have is similar, but you can use it in a wider variety of ways.

Like could have, you can use it to criticise something that someone didn't do in the

past:

You should have called me like you promised.

He should have checked the recipe before he started cooking.

They should have practiced penalties before the match.

You can also use it to criticise something that someone did:

You shouldn't have drunk so much at the wedding!

She shouldn't have left everything to the last minute.

You can even use it to criticise yourself, if you regret something which you did in the

past:

I should have realised what was going on.

I shouldn't have said that.

You can also use should have to apologise to someone.

If you say I shouldn't have said that, you're admitting that you made the wrong choice,

and that you regret it.

This is the most common use of should have: criticising others or yourself, and talking

about things you regret in the past.

However, it has one more meaning.

Look at three examples.

Can you work out what should have means here?

Here, you use should have to talk about something which you expected to happen, but it didn't

happen.

They should have been here by now means that you expected them to have arrived before now,

but you're still waiting.

It should have been ready an hour ago means that you expected everything to be ready earlier.

Maybe you're cooking something, and it's taking much longer than you thought it would.

The plane should have landed at seven thirty means that you expected the plane to land

then, but it didn't.

Probably, you mean that the plane is late, and you're still waiting for it.

Now, you should have learned two different ways to use should have.

Let's practice using would have, could have and should have together.

You should have told me your friends were coming!

I would have made some extra food.

Sorry!

I would have called you, but I had no phone credit.

I should have topped up before we went out.

What are we going to eat?

We don't have much in the fridge.

I should have stopped and got a takeaway on the way.

Not to worry: we'll order something.

Where's the food?

I'm so hungry!

They should have come by now, right?

They're probably just busy.

They could have forgotten.

They would have called if there was a problem, don't you think?

Relax!

You should have had a snack when you got in.

It'll be here soon.

That was delicious!

I've never had such a good meal.

You could have left some for me.

What am I supposed to eat?

Oh…

I'm sorry!

I would have left some if I'd known you wanted some.

I should have asked.

Yeah, you should have.

Oh well, there's half a cucumber in the fridge, I think.

Look at three sentences from the dialogues.

Can you explain what they mean?

The first sentence is talking about the imaginary past.

It means that if I had known you were bringing guests, I would have made some more food.

But, in reality, I didn't know, so I didn't make enough food.

The second sentence is talking about something you aren't sure about in the past.

Do you remember the situation?

We were waiting for our takeaway to arrive.

It was late, and we didn't know what happened.

You use could have here to make a guess about something in the past when you don't know

what happened.

The third sentence is a criticism, or an expression of regret.

If you say this, you mean that you made a mistake in the past.

Think back to the dialogues.

Did we use should have or could have in any other ways?

Look at two more sentences:

They should have come by now.

You could have left some for me.

What do should have and could have mean here?

Here, should have means that something didn't happen the way you expected.

You expected the food to be here by now, but it isn't.

Could have is used to criticise something which someone else didn't do.

Now, hopefully you understand how to use would have, could have and should have.

Get more practice with the full version of this lesson, which includes a quiz to help

your understanding of this topic.

There's a link underneath the video.

You can also find many more free English lessons on our website: Oxford Online English.com.

Finally, a question: did you learn anything new about using would have, could have or

should have?

What was new for you in this lesson?

Please let us know in the comments.

Thanks for watching!

See you next time!


Using Would Have, Could Have, Should Have - English Grammar Lesson Would Have, Could Have, Should Have - Englische Grammatiklektion Utilizar Would Have, Could Have, Should Have - Lección de gramática inglesa Utiliser Would Have, Could Have, Should Have - Leçon de grammaire anglaise Uso di Would Have, Could Have, Should Have - Lezione di grammatica inglese Would Have, Could Have, Should Haveの使い方 - 英文法レッスン Would Have, Could Have, Should Have 사용 - 영어 문법 수업 Would Have, Could Have, Should Have gebruiken - Engelse grammaticales Użycie would have, could have, should have - lekcja gramatyki angielskiej Usando Would Have, Could Have, Should Have - Lição de gramática inglesa Использование Would Have, Could Have, Should Have - Урок грамматики английского языка Would Have, Could Have, Should Have Kullanımı - İngilizce Dilbilgisi Dersi Вживання Would Have, Could Have, Should Have - урок граматики англійської мови 使用“Would Have”、“Could Have”、“Should Have” - 英语语法课 使用“Would Have”、“Could Have”、“Should Have” - 英語語法課

Oh…

Hello!

Ah…

I should have prepared for this lesson, I guess. Ich hätte mich auf diese Lektion vorbereiten sollen, schätze ich.

Now I don't know what to say. Jetzt weiß ich nicht, was ich sagen soll.

Whoops!

Martin!

You could have at least warned me. Du hättest mich wenigstens warnen können. 警告くらいしてくれてもいいのに。 Ты мог бы хотя бы предупредить меня.

Now what are we going to do? Was werden wir jetzt tun? さて、どうするんでしょう? Что же нам теперь делать?

I would have done it, but I was just so busy… Ich hätte es getan, aber ich war einfach so beschäftigt … やりたかったけど、忙しくて...。 Я бы сделал это, но я был так занят...

I could have done it if you'd told me. Ich hätte es tun können, wenn du es mir gesagt hättest. 言ってくれればできたんですけどね。 Я мог бы это сделать, если бы ты мне сказала.

Don't you have some notes, or something we can use? Haben Sie keine Notizen oder etwas, das wir verwenden können? メモとか、使えるものはないんですか? Нет ли у вас каких-нибудь записей или чего-нибудь, что мы могли бы использовать?

I had some notes, but I can't find them. Ich hatte einige Notizen, aber ich kann sie nicht finden. メモもあったのですが、見つからないんです。 У меня были кое-какие записи, но я не могу их найти.

Well, think about it: where could they be? Nun, denken Sie darüber nach: Wo könnten sie sein? さて、よく考えてみてください、彼らはどこにいるのでしょう? Подумайте сами: где они могут быть?

Not sure… よくわからないが...。 Не уверен...

I could have left them on the bus. Ich hätte sie im Bus lassen können. バスの中に置いておくこともできた。 Я мог бы оставить их в автобусе.

I should never have agreed to do this video… Ich hätte niemals zustimmen sollen, dieses Video zu machen… この映像の出演を承諾するんじゃなかった...。 Я не должен был соглашаться на это видео...

Hi, I'm Martin. Привет, я Мартин.

Welcome to Oxford Online English!

In this lesson, you can learn how to use would have, should have and could have. In dieser Lektion erfahren Sie, wie Sie would have, should have und could have verwenden.

These verbs—would, should, could, etc.—are modal verbs, so they don't have past forms Diese Verben – würden, sollten, könnten usw. – sind Modalverben, haben also keine Vergangenheitsformen Эти глаголы - would, should, could и т.д. - являются модальными глаголами, поэтому у них нет форм прошедшего времени

like normal verbs do. как это делают обычные глаголы.

Instead, you can talk about the past by adding have plus a past participle after the verb. Stattdessen kannst du über die Vergangenheit sprechen, indem du nach dem Verb have plus Partizip Perfekt hinzufügst. Вместо этого вы можете говорить о прошлом, добавив have плюс причастие прошедшего времени после глагола.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to use those modal verbs to talk about the past in

English, what they mean, and how they're different.

Sometimes, you have moments when your life could go in very different ways. Manchmal gibt es Momente, in denen Ihr Leben ganz anders verlaufen könnte. Ponekad imate trenutke kada vam život može ići na vrlo različite načine. 時には、自分の人生が全く違う方向に進む可能性がある瞬間があります。

For example, maybe you take an important exam, and your result decides where you can go to Vielleicht legen Sie zum Beispiel eine wichtige Prüfung ab und Ihr Ergebnis entscheidet, wohin Sie gehen können 例えば、大事な試験を受けて、その結果で進学先が決まるようなこともあるかもしれませんが

university.

Maybe you're thinking about moving to another country. Vielleicht denken Sie darüber nach, in ein anderes Land zu ziehen. もしかしたら、海外移住を考えているのかもしれませんね。

Do you stay where you are, or do you leave? Bleibst du wo du bist oder gehst du? 今いる場所に留まるのか、それとも離れるのか。

Perhaps you're in a relationship and things aren't going so well. Vielleicht bist du in einer Beziehung und es läuft nicht so gut.

Do you stay and try to make it work, or do you move on? Bleibst du und versuchst, es zum Laufen zu bringen, oder ziehst du weiter? 残って頑張るのか、それとも前に進むのか?

Life is full of these important moments and decisions. Das Leben ist voll von diesen wichtigen Momenten und Entscheidungen.

Try to think of something like this from your past. Versuchen Sie, an so etwas aus Ihrer Vergangenheit zu denken.

Now, ask yourself: you made the choices you made. Fragen Sie sich jetzt: Sie haben die Entscheidungen getroffen, die Sie getroffen haben. さて、自問自答してみてください。あなたが選択したのは、あなた自身なのです。

You passed the exam, or you failed it; you moved to another country, or you didn't. Sie haben die Prüfung bestanden oder sind durchgefallen; Sie sind in ein anderes Land gezogen oder nicht. 試験に合格したのか、不合格だったのか、他国に移住したのか、しなかったのか。

That's reality, but what if things had gone the other way? Das ist Realität, aber was wäre, wenn die Dinge anders gelaufen wären? それが現実ですが、もし逆の立場だったらどうでしょう?

This is the imaginary past. Das ist die imaginäre Vergangenheit. これは想像上の過去である。

You're imagining a different version of the past. Sie stellen sich eine andere Version der Vergangenheit vor.

You're asking yourself questions like:

What if I had worked a bit harder, and passed that exam? Was wäre, wenn ich ein bisschen härter gearbeitet und diese Prüfung bestanden hätte?

What if I had taken that job, and moved to Italy? Was wäre, wenn ich diesen Job angenommen und nach Italien gezogen wäre? もし、その仕事を受けて、イタリアに移住していたら...?

What if I had told her how I feel? Was wäre, wenn ich ihr gesagt hätte, wie ich mich fühle? もし、自分の気持ちを伝えていたらどうだっただろう。

This is where you use would have. Dies ist, wo Sie verwenden müssten.

Use would have to talk about the imaginary past. Use müsste über die imaginäre Vergangenheit sprechen.

For example:

If I had got better exam results, I would have got into Harvard. Wenn ich bessere Prüfungsergebnisse gehabt hätte, wäre ich nach Harvard gekommen. もし、試験の成績が良かったら、ハーバードに入れたかもしれませんね。

I wouldn't have met my wife if I had moved to Italy seven years ago. Ich hätte meine Frau nicht kennengelernt, wenn ich vor sieben Jahren nach Italien gezogen wäre. 7年前にイタリアに移住していたら、妻とは出会っていなかったでしょう。

If I hadn't forgotten my pen that day, I wouldn't have asked to borrow yours, and Wenn ich an diesem Tag meinen Stift nicht vergessen hätte, hätte ich nicht darum gebeten, mir deinen auszuleihen, und

we wouldn't have become friends! wir wären keine Freunde geworden!

Think about your important moment from the past, when your life could have gone in two Denken Sie an Ihren wichtigen Moment in der Vergangenheit, als Ihr Leben in zwei Teile hätte verlaufen können

very different directions: what would have happened if things had gone the other way? ganz unterschiedliche Richtungen: Was wäre passiert, wenn es anders gelaufen wäre? もし逆の立場だったらどうなっていただろう?

So, you can use would have to talk about the imaginary past.

What about our other verbs?

Where do you suppose they are? Wo, glauben Sie, sind sie? どこにいるんだろう?

I don't know.

They're usually so reliable. 普段はとても頼りになる存在です。

I guess they could have mixed up the date? Ich schätze, sie könnten das Datum verwechselt haben? 日付が混ざってる可能性もあるのでは?

Shall we try calling them again? Sollen wir sie noch einmal anrufen? もう一度、電話してみましょうか。

We can't wait forever. Wir können nicht ewig warten. いつまでも待っているわけにはいかない。

When will it be ready? いつ頃出来上がるのでしょうか?

I think next Thursday. 来週の木曜日だと思います。

You said you'd have it finished by the end of this week! Sie sagten, Sie würden es bis Ende dieser Woche fertig haben! 今週中には完成させるとおっしゃっていましたね!

Now what am I going to do? Was soll ich jetzt tun? さて、私はどうすればいいのでしょう。

Sorry. すみません。

You could have told me sooner that you weren't going to finish on time. Du hättest mir früher sagen können, dass du nicht rechtzeitig fertig wirst. 時間内に終わらないことをもっと早く言ってくれればよかったのに。

Doctor, is it serious? Doktor, ist es ernst?

No, it's just a scratch, but be more careful next time. Nein, es ist nur ein Kratzer, aber seien Sie beim nächsten Mal vorsichtiger. いや、ただの傷なんだけど、次からはもっと気をつけてね。

You could have really hurt yourself! Du hättest dich wirklich verletzen können! 本当に怪我をしていたかもしれない!

You can also use could have to talk about the imaginary past: Sie können auch could have verwenden, um über die imaginäre Vergangenheit zu sprechen:

If I'd had more time, I could have finished everything. Wenn ich mehr Zeit gehabt hätte, hätte ich alles beenden können. もっと時間があれば、全部完成させることができたんですけどね。

He could have won it if he hadn't slipped at the start. Er hätte gewinnen können, wenn er nicht am Start ausgerutscht wäre. スタートで滑らなければ勝てたかもしれない。

When you use could have to talk about the imaginary past, you're talking about possibilities. Wenn Sie über die imaginäre Vergangenheit sprechen müssen, sprechen Sie über Möglichkeiten. 想像上の過去について話すときにcould haveを使うと、可能性について話していることになります。

You're talking about opportunities and chances which you didn't have in reality,

but in your imaginary version of the past, you would have had these chances. aber in deiner imaginären Version der Vergangenheit hättest du diese Chancen gehabt. しかし、あなたの想像する過去のバージョンでは、このようなチャンスがあったはずです。

However, could have can also have different meanings. Let's look:

Here, you saw three more ways to use could have. Hier sahen Sie drei weitere Verwendungsmöglichkeiten.

Remember that you can go back and review the dialogues if you need to. Denken Sie daran, dass Sie bei Bedarf zurückgehen und die Dialoge überprüfen können. 必要であれば、ダイアログに戻って見直すことができることを忘れないでください。

Can you explain how could have is used in each of these dialogues? Können Sie erklären, wie in jedem dieser Dialoge hätte verwendet werden könnte?

Could have can mean that you aren't sure about something in the past.

You're talking about a possibility:

They could have mixed up the date. Sie könnten das Datum verwechselt haben. 日付が混ざってる可能性もある。

I've lost my keys. Ich habe meine Schlüssel verloren.

I could have left them at work. Ich hätte sie bei der Arbeit lassen können. 職場に置いておくこともできた。

Where are they? どこにいるんだろう?

I guess they could have missed the train. Ich schätze, sie könnten den Zug verpasst haben. 電車に乗り遅れることもあったのだろう。

In these examples, you aren't sure about something that happened in the past.

You use could have to make a guess about what happened. Sie müssen möglicherweise raten, was passiert ist.

You can also use could have to criticise someone:

You could have told me sooner. Du hättest es mir früher sagen können.

You could have tidied up a bit. Du hättest ein bisschen aufräumen können. もう少し片付けても良かったのでは? Вы могли бы немного прибраться.

You could have worn something a bit nicer. Du hättest etwas schöneres anziehen können. もうちょっと素敵な服を着ればいいのに。

In these examples, you want to criticise the other person for something they didn't do. In diesen Beispielen möchten Sie die andere Person für etwas kritisieren, das sie nicht getan hat.

Finally, you can use could have to mean that somebody was lucky to avoid a bad situation Schließlich können Sie mit could have bedeuten, dass jemand das Glück hatte, eine schlimme Situation zu vermeiden

in the past:

It's just a scratch, but you could have really hurt yourself. Es ist nur ein Kratzer, aber du hättest dich wirklich verletzen können.

We were really late, and we could have missed our plane, but luckily we just made it. Wir waren sehr spät dran und hätten unser Flugzeug verpassen können, aber zum Glück haben wir es gerade noch geschafft. 本当に遅かったので、飛行機に乗り遅れる可能性もあったのですが、運良くギリギリ間に合いました。

Let's review quickly. Lassen Sie uns schnell überprüfen.

Could have has four different meanings.

Can you remember them?

You can use could have to talk about the imaginary past,

to guess about something in the past which you aren't sure about,

to criticise someone for something they didn't do,

and to say that someone was lucky to avoid a bad situation.

Next, what about should have? Als nächstes, was sollte haben?

You just saw that could have can be used to criticise someone. Sie haben gerade gesehen, dass dies hätte verwendet werden können, um jemanden zu kritisieren.

Should have is similar, but you can use it in a wider variety of ways. Should have ist ähnlich, aber Sie können es auf vielfältigere Weise verwenden. Should haveも似たようなものですが、より幅広い使い方ができます。

Like could have, you can use it to criticise something that someone didn't do in the Wie hätte können Sie es verwenden, um etwas zu kritisieren, das jemand in der nicht getan hat

past:

You should have called me like you promised. Du hättest mich anrufen sollen, wie du es versprochen hast. 約束通り電話してくれればよかったのに。

He should have checked the recipe before he started cooking. Er hätte das Rezept überprüfen sollen, bevor er mit dem Kochen begann. 料理を始める前にレシピを確認するべきだった。

They should have practiced penalties before the match. Sie hätten vor dem Spiel Elfmeter üben sollen. 試合前にPKの練習をしておくべきだった。 他們應該在賽前練習點球。

You can also use it to criticise something that someone did:

You shouldn't have drunk so much at the wedding! Du hättest auf der Hochzeit nicht so viel trinken sollen! 結婚式でそんなに飲んじゃダメでしょう!

She shouldn't have left everything to the last minute. Sie hätte nicht alles bis zur letzten Minute aufschieben sollen. 彼女は、すべてをギリギリまで放置してはいけなかったのだ。

You can even use it to criticise yourself, if you regret something which you did in the Sie können es sogar verwenden, um sich selbst zu kritisieren, wenn Sie etwas bereuen, das Sie in der Vergangenheit getan haben

past:

I should have realised what was going on. Ich hätte erkennen müssen, was los war. 私は何が起こっているのか気づくべきでした。

I shouldn't have said that. Das hätte ich nicht sagen sollen. 言わなきゃよかった。

You can also use should have to apologise to someone. Sie können sich auch bei jemandem entschuldigen.

If you say I shouldn't have said that, you're admitting that you made the wrong choice, Wenn Sie sagen, ich hätte das nicht sagen sollen, geben Sie zu, dass Sie die falsche Wahl getroffen haben,

and that you regret it. und dass du es bereust.

This is the most common use of should have: criticising others or yourself, and talking Dies ist die häufigste Verwendung von should have: andere oder sich selbst kritisieren und reden

about things you regret in the past.

However, it has one more meaning. Es hat jedoch noch eine weitere Bedeutung.

Look at three examples.

Can you work out what should have means here? Kannst du herausfinden, was hier gemeint sein sollte? ここで、"should have "とはどういう意味か、おわかりになりますか?

Here, you use should have to talk about something which you expected to happen, but it didn't Hier sollten Sie über etwas sprechen müssen, von dem Sie erwartet hatten, dass es passieren würde, aber es ist nicht passiert

happen.

They should have been here by now means that you expected them to have arrived before now,

but you're still waiting.

It should have been ready an hour ago means that you expected everything to be ready earlier. Es hätte vor einer Stunde fertig sein sollen bedeutet, dass Sie damit gerechnet haben, dass alles früher fertig ist.

Maybe you're cooking something, and it's taking much longer than you thought it would. Vielleicht kochst du etwas und es dauert viel länger als du dachtest. 何か料理をしていて、思ったより時間がかかっているのかもしれませんね。

The plane should have landed at seven thirty means that you expected the plane to land

then, but it didn't.

Probably, you mean that the plane is late, and you're still waiting for it.

Now, you should have learned two different ways to use should have. Jetzt sollten Sie zwei verschiedene Möglichkeiten der Verwendung kennengelernt haben. さて、should haveの2種類の使い方を学びましたね。

Let's practice using would have, could have and should have together.

You should have told me your friends were coming! Du hättest mir sagen sollen, dass deine Freunde kommen! 友達が来ると言ってくれればよかったのに!

I would have made some extra food. Ich hätte etwas mehr Essen gemacht. 追加で作ったはずなのに。

Sorry!

I would have called you, but I had no phone credit. Ich hätte dich angerufen, aber ich hatte kein Telefonguthaben. 電話したかったけど、電話の信用がなかった。 我本來想打電話給你的,但我沒有話費。

I should have topped up before we went out. Ich hätte auffüllen sollen, bevor wir ausgegangen sind. 出かける前にトッピングしておけばよかった。 我應該在出去之前加滿油。

What are we going to eat? Was werden wir essen?

We don't have much in the fridge. Wir haben nicht viel im Kühlschrank. 冷蔵庫にあまりないんです。

I should have stopped and got a takeaway on the way. Ich hätte unterwegs anhalten und mir einen Imbiss holen sollen. 途中で立ち寄ってテイクアウトしてくればよかった。 我應該在路上停下來買點外賣。

Not to worry: we'll order something. Keine Sorge: Wir bestellen etwas. 心配しないでください、何か注文します。

Where's the food? Wo ist das Essen?

I'm so hungry!

They should have come by now, right? Sie hätten jetzt kommen sollen, oder? もうそろそろ来るはずですよね?

They're probably just busy. Sie sind wahrscheinlich nur beschäftigt. 忙しいだけだろう。

They could have forgotten. Sie hätten es vergessen können. 忘れていたかもしれない。

They would have called if there was a problem, don't you think? Sie hätten angerufen, wenn es ein Problem gegeben hätte, meinst du nicht? 問題があれば電話するはずでしょう、そう思いませんか?

Relax!

You should have had a snack when you got in. Du hättest einen Snack haben sollen, als du reingekommen bist. 入ってからお菓子を食べればよかったのに。

It'll be here soon. Es wird bald hier sein. もうすぐ来るよ。

That was delicious! Das war lecker!

I've never had such a good meal. Ich habe noch nie so gut gegessen.

You could have left some for me. Du hättest mir welche hinterlassen können. 残しておいてくれてもいいのに。

What am I supposed to eat? Was soll ich essen? 何を食べたらいいんだろう?

Oh…

I'm sorry!

I would have left some if I'd known you wanted some. Ich hätte welche dagelassen, wenn ich gewusst hätte, dass du welche willst. あなたが欲しがっていると知っていれば、少し残しておいたのですが。

I should have asked. Ich hätte fragen sollen. と聞けばよかった。

Yeah, you should have. Ja, das solltest du haben.

Oh well, there's half a cucumber in the fridge, I think.

Look at three sentences from the dialogues. Sehen Sie sich drei Sätze aus den Dialogen an.

Can you explain what they mean?

The first sentence is talking about the imaginary past.

It means that if I had known you were bringing guests, I would have made some more food. お客様をお連れすると知っていたら、もう少し料理を作っておいたのにということです。

But, in reality, I didn't know, so I didn't make enough food. Aber in Wirklichkeit wusste ich es nicht, also habe ich nicht genug Essen gemacht.

The second sentence is talking about something you aren't sure about in the past. Der zweite Satz spricht über etwas, bei dem Sie sich in der Vergangenheit nicht sicher sind.

Do you remember the situation?

We were waiting for our takeaway to arrive. Wir warteten auf unser Essen zum Mitnehmen. テイクアウトの到着を待っていました。

It was late, and we didn't know what happened. 遅かったし、何が起こったかわからなかった。

You use could have here to make a guess about something in the past when you don't know

what happened.

The third sentence is a criticism, or an expression of regret. Der dritte Satz ist eine Kritik oder ein Ausdruck des Bedauerns.

If you say this, you mean that you made a mistake in the past. Wenn Sie das sagen, meinen Sie, dass Sie in der Vergangenheit einen Fehler gemacht haben.

Think back to the dialogues. Denken Sie an die Dialoge zurück.

Did we use should have or could have in any other ways? Haben wir sollten oder könnten auf andere Weise verwendet haben?

Look at two more sentences:

They should have come by now. Sie hätten jetzt kommen sollen. もうそろそろ来るはずなんだけどな。

You could have left some for me. Du hättest mir welche hinterlassen können. 残しておいてくれてもいいのに。

What do should have and could have mean here? Was soll und könnte hier bedeuten?

Here, should have means that something didn't happen the way you expected. Hier bedeutet hätte haben sollen, dass etwas nicht so gelaufen ist, wie Sie es erwartet haben.

You expected the food to be here by now, but it isn't.

Could have is used to criticise something which someone else didn't do. Hätte könnte verwendet werden, um etwas zu kritisieren, was jemand anderes nicht getan hat.

Now, hopefully you understand how to use would have, could have and should have. Nun, hoffentlich verstehen Sie, wie man hätte, könnte und sollte.

Get more practice with the full version of this lesson, which includes a quiz to help

your understanding of this topic.

There's a link underneath the video.

You can also find many more free English lessons on our website: Oxford Online English.com.

Finally, a question: did you learn anything new about using would have, could have or

should have?

What was new for you in this lesson?

Please let us know in the comments.

Thanks for watching!

See you next time!