Could Have: How to Use It and Examples (English Grammar)

Hello. This is Jack from tfluency.com, and in this video

you're going to learn how to use 'could have' and also you'll see the difference

between this and could so let's get straight into it..

The main way that we can use could have is when we're talking about

possibilities in the past. So, imagine that you took an exam last week you may

say I could have studied harder it was possible for me to study harder so this

is a great example to remember I could have studied harder the opposite of this

if it wasn't possible in the past, you can say, I couldn't have studied any

harder. So, both of these examples one in the affirmative one in the negative are

both talking about possibilities in the past. We can also use could have when

we're capable of doing something but didn't do it, for example, imagine that

you are offered your best friend's job, so your best friend's boss calls you on the

phone and says, "Hey we have a job for you do you want it?" and you say well it's my

best friend's job, and they say "Well, do you want it?" You decide not to take it

and you say I couldn't have done that to her she's my best friend. So, you were capable

of taking this job - it was offered to you - but you didn't do it so you say I

couldn't have done that to my friend I couldn't have done that to her she's my

best friend. We can also use could have to speculate about things that didn't

happen. So, in the picture on your screen you can see somebody jumping off a cliff

into the sea or ocean. Now, you can say to your friend are you crazy you could have

killed yourself! So, you're speculating about something in the past that didn't

happen but could

have happened are you crazy you could have killed yourself

finally let's have a look at the difference between could have and could

So, a good way to think about this is that we use could for past abilitiy and

could have for past possibility. So, here are two examples to highlight this for

you: I couldn't swim until I was 16 so we're using could here to talk about our past

ability the fact that I couldn't swim until I was 16 I could have swum faster

yesterday so yesterday it was possible for me to swim faster I could have swum

faster yesterday. That has given you an overview of how to use could have what I

want you to do now is this

leave an example in the comment section below using could have and then check

out my other video that shows you how to use a very similar modal so thank you

for watching this video and I'll see you next time