How to Express Regret in English should have could have would have
but welcome back to our weekly live
stream my name is Alicia and in this
week’s lesson we are going to talk about
a very common question how to use should
have could have and would have in
everyday conversation I’m also going to
talk about making negative statements so
today’s lesson will be focused on making
statements I’m not going to really talk
so much about making questions today
we’re going to talk about the
differences between these three patterns
so I’m going to try to use a lot of
examples on the board today but I hope
that you send lots of examples in the
chat as well so we will wait a couple
minutes for other people to join us live
while we wait please don’t forget to
send a message in the chat make sure to
like and share the video also so other
learners can find it and what else get
some stuff ready to write about so you
can take notes about today’s lesson
we’ll start in about two minutes in the
meantime a couple announcements
announcement one I guess we’ll talk
about that picture first okay and that’s
but one if you have not seen our culture
series which is on the English class 101
YouTube channel please check it out
yesterday we made the third episode of
this series so the culture series is not
just about like language it’s not only
about learning English we’re talking
about cultural points as well so for
example the first episode of the series
was about American convenience stores
our second episode will be out very soon
and this third episode has to do with
cities cities so this was from yesterday
if you have not seen the first episode
please search on the English class 101
youtube channel for convenience stores
you will find it right away so that’s
the first thing second thing is don’t
forget as always free stuff as well so
this is the banner we always have here
but this is sorry so I’ll move here this
is just
screenshot of all of the different PDFs
you can find from the link below the
video if you are watching this on
youtube or above the video on Facebook
so please check this out these are all
free to download lots of you asked like
how do we download these what’s the
process so if you would like to download
these you need an account on our website
so if you click the link the next thing
you’ll see is something like this kind
of like this so you can make an account
for free with your email address here if
you have an account just login so you’ll
do that once you have an account you can
download whatever you like for free so
this is the family and relatives one but
we have many more so please check it out
check it out check it out ok that is
everything for announcements I see many
people in all of the chats hello Alberto
Chris Pratt oh my gosh it’s Pratt is in
the chat today hi everybody
i’ll alexei hello gyro sorry if i
mispronounce your name
penelope name hello on facebook rainey
hello Hal and Maria hi hi everybody
there are lots of people preach we have
lots of good stuff to talk about so
let’s get started I’m going to share the
video and then I’m going to begin
today’s lesson there we are okay so as I
said today’s focus will be on using
should have could have and would have so
a big theme with this grammar is regret
regret so what is regret regret is sad
feelings about something that happened
or did not happen in the past so we’re
going to focus a lot on like sad things
in the past okay so let’s begin with
should and shouldn’t have first how do
we make a statement with should and
shouldn’t have we use our subject so
that’s I you we
she and so on and then we add should
have for a positive statement or
shouldn’t have for a negative statement
this is the change we make for positive
and for negative then we use a past
participle verb past participle verb so
like eaten or gone for example so what
is the difference here what does this
even mean when we make a positive
sentence so subject should have past
participle verb we’re talking about
something that did not happen in the
past so in this diagram the blue color
means a positive expression so this is
something that did not happen in the
past I marked it with an X and we feel
sad about it like we’re not happy about
it this thing did not happen and I feel
sad I feel regret when we make a
negative sentence subject shouldn’t have
plus past participle verb it means that
thing it happened it did happen
something happened and we feel sad about
it so positive did not happen
negative did happen this is maybe seems
a little bit backwards so let’s practice
this with a few example sentence so many
of you are students I know so a common
example is I should have
studied or I should have studied more so
let’s break this one down my subject is
I I follow my subject which should have
right here I should have studied is the
past participle form of study and in
this case I use more so this means I
should have studied more than I did so I
studied a little bit but my regret is I
didn’t study enough I didn’t study
enough so I should have studied more
this sentence means because it’s
positive I’m using positive should have
here this idea so this did not happen so
I studied a little bit but I should have
studied more I should have studied more
so this is a very common one for
students for sure for anyone studying
anything really for language whatever so
I should have studied more is a very
common example okay let’s take a look at
a negative now a negative let’s use I
shouldn’t I shouldn’t have eaten that
Andy
I often have this regret this is true
there’s a weird peppermint thing in the
office anyway I shouldn’t have eaten
that candy this is a common regret for
some people for me for sure
so let’s again let’s break this down so
we begin with I is my subject again me I
negative shouldn’t have should not have
the reduced form here I shouldn’t have
eaten eaten is the past participle form
of the verb eat and what that candy so
this means here because it’s a negative
this is a negative that means this
happened I know that this pattern means
this thing happened there’s a check here
it’s kind of hard to see and a sad face
so I shouldn’t have eaten that candy
that means I ate the candy and maybe I
feel sick or I ate the candy and now I
have too much energy maybe whatever so I
feel some regret about this thing in the
past I shouldn’t have eaten that candy
so this is a positive and a negative
example also a pronunciation point about
this and we’ll talk about it for the
others too when we pronounce this should
have and this shouldn’t have we make it
very quick and very short so let’s
listen this should have I should have
studied more sounds like I should have
studied more at native speed I should
have studied more so this should have
sounds like should shoulda it’s like we
put an A at the end of [ __ ] I should
have studied more I should have studied
more this is how a native speaker
pronounces should have so you’d usually
do not here have here should have
studied more in the negative we do the
same thing
shouldn’t have shouldn’t have is
pronounced as should not should not so
this should not this it sound and
shouldn’t becomes and it’s hard to hear
this sound close to the mic shouldn’t
it’s true it’s true
shouldn’t should that well it’s hard to
hear the end zone so shouldn’t have
becomes Shabnam should have becomes [ __ ]
up
some examples are coming in hello
someone says I should not have trusted
him
perfect perfect example Diego says he
shouldn’t have eaten so much candy maybe
sounds good he shouldn’t have eaten so
much candy good I saw one more I think I
do too but it’s gone now that’s okay
it’s not a couple yeah there’s a bunch
there sorry YouTube Aparna said we
should have completed our work perfect
someone says delete says I should have
studied more with Alisha whoo yeah
thanks for studying now perfect sentence
other examples
uh ah Xiu says I should have washed
washed my face before watching this
stream maybe so
past participle verb past participle of
wash is washed I should have washed my
face golly says you should have brought
my wallet perfect perfect very nice very
nice some other examples masa hagun masa
Amasya says I shouldn’t have done it
good I shouldn’t have done it is a great
one to use great pattern thanks for that
mafia I shouldn’t have done it or I
shouldn’t have done that this is a great
point for everybody to remember I
shouldn’t have done that
is super useful because that can mean
anything in the past when you make a
mistake and you feel bad about it
especially for like kids or maybe if you
have a problem in like your friendship
or something you can like apologize and
say I shouldn’t have done that
shouldn’t have done that I’m sorry I
shouldn’t have done that it’s a great
pattern great pattern uh some other ones
Johan says I shouldn’t have drank a lot
of beer
oh that’s relatable for sure okay
someone sorry I can’t read your name on
YouTube who the characters I should not
have said that to you sorry
perfect nice examples everybody great
great should have and should not have
sounds really good okay sounds good
let’s take a break then and we’ll go to
could could have and could not have next
very nice examples everybody awesome so
get ready for it could have next in the
meantime let’s shall I show physical
items or shall we see a picture we shall
see a picture which I’ll do both oh my
gosh we have the technology okay so I
showed you the free stuff that’s always
last week and gave some tips if you are
having trouble downloading all of our
free stuff these things are the same as
these here like travel ones or food ones
whatever if you want to download these
you can click the link below the video
on YouTube or above the video if you’re
watching on Facebook if you’re watching
on Instagram go to YouTube or Facebook I
can’t see your comments live sorry go
here and if you have an account please
login and with your account to your
email address if you do not have an
account you can make one for free and
after you do that you can download all
this stuff all this stuff from the link
so that’s the three steps to get all of
this free stuff so today we’re talking
about regrets a lot but you can use this
with any verb so with travel related
verbs like some of you have said I
should have gone there someone that I
should have gone to that Island or we’re
talking about food I shouldn’t have
eaten that for example or if you are
talking about shopping for clothes I
shouldn’t have bought those expensive
shoes for example so you can practice
this grammar with any verb any verb and
we all have things we wish we had
had not done for sure so check out all
of that free stuff from the link below
the video on youtube or above the video
on Facebook okay let’s continue thanks
everybody for your example sentences in
part 1 let’s go on now to part 2 if
you’re just joining we’re talking about
should have could have and would have
the video is being recorded so please
check the first part of today’s lesson
also if you have not already make sure
to like and share the video so other
people can find it
alrighty let’s continue to part 2 part 2
is about using could and couldn’t have
could and could it have so exactly as we
did with should and shouldn’t have when
we make the statement when we make our
statement we use subject + could have +
past participle verbs so this is exactly
the same we’ve just replaced should with
could in the negative it’s also the same
subject couldn’t tap plus past
participle verb so you’ll notice this
pattern this is the same for all three
points today but this change is very
important so what does could have or
couldn’t have mean let’s talk about
positives and negatives again first in a
positive statement it means that thing
in the past something in the past did
not happen that thing did not happen but
it was possible it was possible so on my
diagram here this is my timeline here’s
now here’s the past so this is my action
I marked with an X so this did not
happen but it was possible it did not
happen but it was possible let’s compare
this to the negative n so that thing was
impossible in the
that thing was not possible in the past
so this is the key difference so this is
very different from should have and
shouldn’t have yeah so that’s very like
about regrets this is talking more about
possibility and we often use it for
regret not always but we often use it
for regret so again positive did not
happen but it was possible and negative
was not possible in the past so let’s
practice with some example sentences
okay first one let’s practice with a
positive I could have helped you with
your am I still in Frank homework okay
up by writing okay with your homework
alright that’s a long sentence sorry I
could have helped you with your homework
okay so ouch so I showed you this part
right here so up to this part is the
same as this so in this case these are
my sentence details I could have helped
you with your homework so here my
subject is I used could have here to
make a positive and my past participle
verb is helped at native speed this
sounds like I could have helped you with
my with your homework sorry I could have
helped you with your homework so what
does this sentence mean this sentence
means I did not help you with your
homework I did not help you in the past
but it was possible it was possible I
had time I was near you I was at school
I could have helped you but I didn’t
like maybe I didn’t know so I could have
helped you with your homework so this is
a positive example positive one I could
have but I didn’t so positive sentence
yes did not happen this action did not
happen
okay so let’s move on to a negative
example of them a negative example let’s
change the subject then let’s change it
she couldn’t have eaten that pizza by
herself she couldn’t have eaten that
pizza by herself so let’s imagine for
this sentence maybe you’re sitting in a
restaurant and you see a young woman
like a very young woman maybe she’s like
10 years old with a huge pizza and then
later the pizza is gone and you think
what she’s so small like there’s no way
she couldn’t have eaten that pizza by
herself so my subject is she I’m using
the negative couldn’t have my past
participle verb is eaten and here are my
sentence details she couldn’t have eaten
that pizza by herself by herself means
alone just her her only she couldn’t
have eaten that pizza by herself so this
sentence means this situation so eating
the pizza by hers was impossible so
she’s like a tiny tiny girl with a giant
pizza like it’s bigger than her so this
situation was impossible in the past we
use couldn’t have plus past participle
verb to express that point so this is
the difference between positive and
negative with could have and couldn’t
have
so again a pronunciation point just as I
talked about with should have and
shouldn’t have could have sounds like
coulda gooda I could have helped you I
could have helped you with your homework
I could have come to your party I could
wash the dishes but I didn’t so
coulda similarly couldn’t have
sounds like couldn’t uh couldn’t uh she
couldn’t eat in that pizza by herself
that’s what a native speaker would say I
couldn’t have come that couldn’t have
been him couldn’t uh couldn’t have some
examples from you guys great someone
says I couldn’t have bought the cars mmm
agency I’m not quite sure what that one
means
sorry about that I couldn’t have
prepared breakfast for us this morning
okay maybe I I couldn’t I couldn’t
prepare breakfast for us this morning as
a little bit different I could have had
two children I could have had two
children so don’t forget when this verb
when this verb is have the past
participle form is had so yes it’s
correct to say it could have had I could
have had two children okay my rista
Madrid East uh sorry I could have gone
there good Florence says she couldn’t
have gone to school by herself
perfect good
Yadira says I could have bought food for
dinner good good so that means it didn’t
happen or wait sorry what was your
sentence I could have bought I could
have bought food for dinner so it sounds
like I could have I didn’t but I could
if it was possible I could have bought
food for dinner good they could have
studied English ten years ago yes
exactly
so again that means that did not happen
but it was possible
amer on Facebook says she couldn’t have
done the homework by herself good
example nice someone said a cam boy on
Facebook says I could have had three
children so no s children is plural good
it’s going very fast I couldn’t yeah I
couldn’t watch I couldn’t watch the live
last one say okay a little bit different
a little bit different grammar point
we’re focusing on couldn’t have couldn’t
tap okay he couldn’t have oh they
couldn’t have come yet good good good
they couldn’t have come yet so it’s not
possible for them to come yet good I
couldn’t have studied English without
you whew thanks good good some good
examples coming in but this one’s a
little tricky I couldn’t don’t forget
this half don’t forget this half so I
think some people looking at the chat I
think some people the issue I see if
some people are using simple past to
talk about like ability in the past like
I couldn’t come to work yesterday that’s
like an impossible situation yesterday
sure but like I couldn’t have like done
something we’re talking about other
kinds of like impossibility in the past
there so not like simple past tense
possibility
a little different okay let’s continue
time is running out so let’s continue on
to a break and then we’ll go to the
third point some other good examples are
coming in no I couldn’t have passed the
University exam when I was fifteen very
nice example okay let’s take one more
quick break and then we’ll go to our
last point for today again if you missed
it before free stuff okay free stuff we
won’t show you the screenshots this time
but I showed you a couple of these PDFs
before so as I’ve said you can use all
of these to practice today’s grammar
point so we’re talking about should have
could have and would have we practice
these with a verb so for example if you
are visiting a hotel I shouldn’t have
booked that hotel or I could have booked
that hotel but I didn’t or if you are
talking with your family you could use
this as well so like for example I
should have called my mother yesterday
or I could have visited my parents last
week but I didn’t so we can use all of
these grammar points with all of these
different topics so if you would like to
download these vocabulary sheets please
check the link below the video on
youtube or above the video on Facebook
if you’re watching on Instagram please
check YouTube or Facebook please
remember I cannot see your comments in
real time okay
let’s continue to the last point for
today’s lesson tricky point would have
and wouldn’t have would have and
wouldn’t have let’s get going
so last point for today also if you have
not make sure to like and share the
video okay would have and wouldn’t have
as I’ve talked about already this
follows the same pattern as could and
couldn’t have and should and shouldn’t
have so we begin with our subject we use
would have and we use the past
participle form of a verb or to make the
negative form we use subject plus wooden
have plus the past participle form
another point about this in particular
is that we use this I think many of you
know about the third conditional the
third conditional is when we use like
some kind of if statement yeah so like
if I had known or like if he had come
there’s some kind of if situation there
we very commonly use this together with
if conditionals so we’re making a third
it’s called the third type the third
conditional type statements so let’s
compare then again positives and
negatives with this would have and
wouldn’t have first make a positive
statement we’re saying if the past
situation had been different this would
have been my plan so I my plan would be
or my plan will be so we imagine I’m in
the past in a different situation so
this is not a true situation and in this
different situation my plan is but
what’s difficult here is this did not
happen so it may be hard to see here but
this I’ve marked with an X so this thing
not happen but I want to express my plan
if the past were different so again this
did not happen this thing did not happen
I’ll show an example in a moment
conversely on the other hand in the
negative form this thing did happen it
did happen but in a different situation
it might not have happened so in a
different situation in the past again I
imagine myself in the past in a
different situation this thing it did
happen but maybe I have a different plan
so this is maybe kind of tricky we’re
talking about totally unreal past
situations here
so I think it’s some languages this type
of grammar doesn’t exist so it’s a bit
tricky so let’s practice with some
examples all righty
let me find my example oh I pad is
frozen there we go my notes okay so
let’s look at a positive example first I
would have helped you with your homework
if I had had time I would have helped
you with your homework if I had had time
so let’s focus on this part right here I
would have helped you with your homework
let’s begin right here so I would have
helped that’s this part subject I would
have plus past participle verb helped I
would have helped so this means in the
past I did not help you with your
homework I did not help you with your
homework but if this situation had been
true it was not true if this situation
had been true I would have meaning my
plan was to help you so this did not
happen this did not happen but if the
past were different this would be my
plan so this is how we talk about like
kind of regrets a little bit a little
bit of regret so in this case if I had
had time if I had had time this means I
did not have time I did not have time
but if I had had time I would have
helped you with your homework this is
what we this is maybe like a common
expression if I had had time I would
have something if I had had time I would
have helped you with your homework
another point about this one is we can
switch the order so I’ve introduced
this I would have first at the beginning
of the sentence you can change it so the
if statement can come first that’s okay
as well okay let’s go I’m out of time so
let’s quickly go to a negative example
let’s see let’s use a short one okay
let’s use this one I wouldn’t have been
so upset if you and just called me okay
negative example I wouldn’t have been so
upset if you had just called me so the
tone of voice I would use and this one
would be very angry probably I wouldn’t
have been so upset if you had just
called me so someone’s probably very
angry or sad when they say this this
means so I wouldn’t have been then as
the past participle verb here so I
wouldn’t have been means I was upset I
was upset in the past but if you this is
my 8th conditional if you had called me
in the past I would not have been upset
so I was upset but if you had called me
I would not have been upset so again
totally not a real situation not a true
situation so for negatives again it did
happen but in a different situation it
might not have happened positive
situations it did not happen in a
different situation it might not so this
is how we use would and wouldn’t have
quick
of course okay so some examples from you
real quick and then we have to finish up
for today if I won the lottery I would
buy about slightly different conditional
let’s practice using would have would
have I would have bought a new car if I
had won the lottery Paul I would have
bought a new car if I had won the
lottery other ones I would have visited
Alisha on my last travel to Dubai at
that time huh nice one garrison I would
have studied music if I had had a chance
so again a nice example Veronica if I
had had a chance so I know it sounds
weird but this is correct when have is
your verb here when I had had is correct
if I had had time you need to change
have to had to make the past participle
form I would have helped you with your
homework if I hadn’t been so busy so
maybe a couple of things to practice
today
some people can practice this compared
to simple past tense couldn’t and
another thing is to practice using
making the third form conditional lots
of you are using wood with no have here
so maybe one point to practice is using
would have with the past participle
alright I have to end today’s lesson oh
my gosh it went so fast so thank you to
everybody for joining us today next week
I’m going to do a lesson about phrasal
verbs so many have asked about phrasal
verbs and it’s quite challenging to just
throw a bunch of verbs at you with no
category so next week’s category will be
phrasal verbs for the office phrasal
verbs for the office or phrasal verbs
you can use at work that will be our
topic for next week so the date next
week will be July 3rd July 3rd yeah July
3rd Wednesday July 3rd at 10 p.m.
Eastern Standard
I’m that is New York City time if you do
not know you’re a local time please
google it so next week we don’t have it
on screen but next week we’ll be phrasal
verbs for the office so a vocabulary
heavy lesson for next week I hope that
it’s helpful for lots of you even if you
don’t work in an office I will try to
make the lesson so you can use it like
at school as well so please join us
again next week at 10 p.m. Eastern
Standard Time thank you so much to
everybody for sending your example
sentences definitely review these
grammar points especially these two I
think and enjoy your studies so thanks
everybody again for liking sharing that
was awesome and we will see you again
next week don’t forget to download your
free stuff to enjoy your week enjoy your
weekend I will see you again next time
you