Should Have vs Could Have vs Would Have - Basic English Grammar

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Hi everybody, welcome back to Ask Alisha, the weekly series where you ask me questions

and I answer them. Maybe!

Your first question comes from...

Meizzhan.

Hi, Meizzhan.

Meizzhan says, Hi Alisha, what's the difference between picture, image, and photo?

In most cases, we use them the same.

When you use a camera, you can say photo or picture.

Take a picture or take a photo.

We use them the same way.

So, image can refer, yes, to a picture or to a photo, though it does sound more like

something maybe printed or published.

Generally speaking, image is used to refer to a depiction or a representation of something

else.

So that means it could be like, a painting.

This is an image of a goddess.

This is an image of a person on a boat, for example.

So image is a depiction; a representation of something.

So that means it can be physical and it can also be in your mind.

Like, a mental picture of something--we could also call that an image.

We have an image of something in our heads.

So like, my image of her is ruined!

Or, I have a really good image of that person.

Hope that helps you.

Okay, let's move on to your next question.

Next question comes from Her Line Bieber.

Hi Her Line.

Hi Alisha, I want to know if I speak in British English in America, will Amerians understand

me?

And vice versa?

Uh, yes.

They should.

There should be no reason why an American English speaker should not understand a British

English speaker or vice versa.

It should not be a problem.

Thanks very much for the question.

Let's move on to your next question.

Next question comes from...Alejandro.

Hi, Alejandro.

Alejandro says, Hi Alisha, I have a question.

What's the meaning of the expression "much obligated," and how can I use this?

I'm not sure about much obligated.

That's not really an expression we use.

We do have the expression "much obliged."

Much obliged.

Um, which is like "thank you very much for helping me and I owe you for this."

So, if someone does something for you, you can say "much obliged."

It sounds rather formal, and for some people perhaps a little bit old fashioned, actually.

You could use it at like the end of an email, for example.

Thanks very much for the files; much obliged.

That sort of thing.

Like, I owe you in return.

So I hope that that helps you.

Thanks very much for the question.

Next question comes from Fabrizzio Sanchez.

Hi, Fabrizzio.

Fabrizzio says, can you explain the differences between should have, could have, would have,

and their negative forms?

Yes, but a proper answer is much bigger than just this Q&A video, so here's a quick, short

answer.

Should have is used to talk about things we wish we had done in the past, or we wish we

had not done in the past.

I should have studied more when I was a student.

I shouldn't have had so much to drink last night.

So, we often have this kind of feeling of regret when we use should have or should not

have.

Could have refers to something that was possible in the past, or impossible in the past.

I could have finished work at 6 today if my boss hadn't given me a last-minute task.

Did you see that guy in the car?

Was that Davey?

Nah, that couldn't have been Davey.

He's at work today.

Could not _____ means "impossible."

So, "could not have been Davey" in that situation means it's impossible for that to have been

Davey just now, in the past.

Uh, would have and would not have refers to a future action in the past.

We are imagining ourselves as like in the past, thinking about our future activities.

I would have gone to the concert, but I had to work.

I wouldn't have quit my job if I were you.

So I'll try to make a whiteboard video about this in the future.

Thanks very much for the question.

Let's move on to your next question for this week.

Next question comes from Sridhar Reddy.

Hi, Sridhar.

Sridhar says, Hi Alisha.

How do I use the word "wanting" in a sentence, and what does it mean?

So we tend not to use mental state or emotional state verbs in anything other than the present

tense or past tense.

So "want" is an example of this.

We tend not to use "want" in the progressive tense, but in a situation like "I have been

wanting," where we're talking about desiring something over a period of time that started

in the past and continues to the present, we can use "wanting."

I've been wanting to see that movie for a long time.

Or, she's been wanting to take a vacation for a long time.

Or like, I've been wanting to eat that dessert for a long time.

I hope that that helps you.

Okay, let's move on to your next question.

Next question comes from Izzaldeen.

Hi, Izzaldeen.

Uh, Izzaldeen says, what is the difference between "where were you yesterday" and "where

you have been yesterday"?

Uh, the difference is that the second sentence is incorrect.

Uh, "where were you yesterday" means "what was your location yesterday"?

The second sentence could be "where have you been," or "where have you been since yesterday"?

The first one is more common.

Where have you been?

This question means, uh, what was your location (or what were your locations) since the last

time I saw you.

So this is a question that commonly sounds like you're accusing someone.

So, if you expected to see someone and you did not see someone, like you've been waiting

for a long time for someone, you can say "where have you been?!"

I was waiting for you!

That kind of thing.

We would use a question like "where were you yesterday" if we were expecting to see someone

and they did not come as plannned.

Where were you yesterday?

What happened?

I was expecting to see you.

Thanks very much for the question.

Hope that helps.

Let's move on to your next question.

Next question comes from Marcelo Oliveira.

Hi again, Marcelo.

Marcelo says, Hi Alisha, what is the difference between vane, vain, and vein?

Yeah, a dictionary is helpful for questions like these.

Uh, vane, V-A-N-E is a noun.

That's part of a tool that's used to measure wind or liquid, like the vanes of a windmill,

for example.

Vain, V-A-I-N, is an adjective that means someone who is obsessed with themselves, like

"he's so vain," "she's so vain, it's ridiculous."

Vein, V-E-I-N is a part of the body.

It's also a noun.

It's used to refer to the part of the body that carries blood.

I hope that that helps you.

Again, a dictionary is really helpful to understand the differences between words that sound and

are spelled similar.

All right, so that's everything that I have for this week.

Thank you as always for sending your great questions.

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