3.4: Comparing Could Have and Should Have
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Could Have — Lost Opportunities
In previous sections, we explained two possible meanings of Could Have. It can be used to express possibility as described in Section 2 or criticism, as described earlier in this section. This section reviews the previous meanings of Could Have and adds a new one-Lost Opportunities
Could have is often used to discuss options that were not taken--lost opportunities. We all know the story of the terrible tragedy of the sinking of the Titanic.
Note the possible opportunities that existed before the sinking of the Titanic followed by sentences that describe what "could have" happened but didn't.
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OPTION |
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1) Offer more life jackets. |
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2) Hold emergency practices. |
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3) Keep in contact with other ships in the area. |
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HYPOTHETICAL STATEMENT-(Options that were not taken) |
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The owners could have supplied more life jackets. (but they didn't) |
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The captain could have held emergency practices. (but he didn't) |
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The captain could have radioed other ships in the area to ask about iceberg sightings. (but he didn't) |
sighting (N) – previous seeing, experience of seeing
Could Have--Possibility
We can use Could Have to discuss possibility or speculation. It expresses a low degree of certainty about events in the past.
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STATEMENT OF PAST POSSIBILITY ("Speculation" As described in Section 2) |
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The captain could have refused help. |
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The Titanic could have been off course, too far north. |
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The captain of the ship Californian could have ignored the call. |
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COMPARE: HYPOTHETICAL STATEMENT (Options that were not taken) |
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The captain could have refused to pilot the ship. |
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The captain could have held emergency practices. |
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The White Star Line could have supplied more boats. |
Should Have
As mentioned earlier, Should Have can be used to express regret or criticism about something that we wish we (or someone else) hadn't done. It can be described as late advice--advice given after-the-fact. Note the examples of good advice followed by the expressions of criticism in the sentences that use Should Have.
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ADVICE |
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1) Include more lifeboats and better deployment (lowering them) |
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2) Require faster emergency response from other ships in the area. |
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3) Be more watchful in shipping lanes where icebergs exist. |
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HYPOTHETICAL CAUSE - EFFECT STATEMENTS EXPRESSING CRITICISM |
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The owners should have had enough space in the lifeboats for everyone on board. |
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The crew should have known how to lower the boats even if the ship was tipping over. |
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The captains of the Californian and Carpathia should have had their radios on. |
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They should have responded to distress flares that were shot in the sky. |
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The captain should have listened to earlier reports of icebergs in the area. |
See Could / Should - Grammar Notes.
Opportunities Not Taken
Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence. If both answers are correct, select both.
1. White Star Lines spent more money on advertising than safety.
The ship owners (could have spent / should have spent) less money on publicity and more on safety.
2. Reports of iceberg sightings in northern shipping lanes had been received before their departure.
The captain (could have cruised/ should have cruised) farther south.
4. The captain couldn't stop in time, so he turned the ship away from the iceberg. Because of this, the iceberg destroyed flotation compartments on the right side of the ships.
The captain (could have steered / should have steered) directly into the iceberg, but the impact would have injured passengers.
impact (N) – crash
5. The captain waited to see if the flotation compartments could keep the ship up. As he did, he lost valuable time.
The captain (couldn't have reacted / shouldn't have reacted) so slowly after the crash.
6. Before leaving, crew members were required to practice lowering lifeboats, but they lowered only two of the sixteen, and not all crew members were present yet.
The captain (should have held / could have held) emergency drills lowering all the lifeboats will all the crew members.
7. Californian: "We are stopped and surrounded by ice."
The captain (should have slowed / could have slowed) the ship when a nearby ship Californian radioed that they were surrounded by ice floes.
8. Staff, crew and equipment were hastily brought together at the last minute to meet the departure date of the Titanic's first voyage.
The company (shouldn't have waited / couldn't have waited) until the last minute. They (could have changed / should have changed ) the departure date.
hastily (adv.) – quickly, not well put together or thought out
9. The crew (shouldn't have trusted / couldn't have trusted) or believed their ship to be "unsinkable".
10. The passengers (shouldn't have known / couldn't have known) that it would be their last voyage.
"How the Titanic Worked" http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/titanic.htm
Grammar-Quizzes › Verb Phrases › Verb Groups › Modals › Could have vs. Should have
Grammar Quizzes by Julie Sevastopoulos is licensed for use under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International.