Modal: Should Have + Past Participle

Think of this as your brain's "Edit" button. You are looking at a finished event. You are deciding if it was good or bad. If it was bad, you use should have. It creates a bridge between now and then. You are in the present. You are judging the past. It is not about what you are doing now. It is about what stayed in yesterday. Even native speakers use this to complain about weather. "It should have been sunny today!" But the clouds did not listen. It is a way to express a wish for a different past.

1. 1Making this sentence is like building a sandwich. You need four specific layers.
2. 2Start with the Subject. This is the person (I, You, We, They).
3. 3Add the word should. This is your advice word.
4. 4Add the word have. This never changes to "has."
5. 5Finish with the Past Participle. This is the third form of the verb.
6. 6For a negative, put not after should. It becomes should not have. Most people say shouldn't have when speaking. For questions, put should at the very start. "Should I have called you?" It is simple once you practice the rhythm.

Use this when you feel regret. Maybe you stayed up late. Now you are very tired at work. You say, "I should have gone to bed early." Use it to give past advice to friends. If your friend failed a test, be kind. Say, "You should have studied more with me." Use it for missed opportunities. Imagine a job interview you missed. "I should have set my alarm clock." It is also great for ordering food. If your friend's pasta looks better than your salad, use it! "I should have ordered the pasta." It is the language of "what if."

Do not use this for the present. If you need to go now, use should. "I should go now" means today. "I should have gone" means yesterday. Do not use it for facts. If you did go to the store, do not use it. Use the simple past. "I went to the store." Only use should have for things that did not happen. If you use it for things that did happen, people will be confused. It is like trying to use a fork to eat soup. It is the wrong tool for the job. Keep it for regrets and missed moments.

One mistake is very famous. People write should of. This is wrong. It sounds like should've when we speak fast. But of has no place here. Always write have. Another mistake is using the wrong verb form. Do not say "I should have go." Use the third form: "I should have gone." Some people try to say "should has" for he or she. That is a no-go zone! Have stays the same for everyone. It is a very loyal word. It does not change for anyone. Even the Queen should have used have!

Compare should have with must have. Should have is about a missed duty or regret. Must have is about a guess. "He should have arrived" means he is late. "He must have arrived" means I am sure he is there. Compare it with could have. Could have means you had the ability. Should have means it was the right thing to do. You could have eaten ten burgers. But you should have eaten a salad. One is about power. The other is about wisdom. Choose wisely!