Look at these examples to see how must, might, may, could, can't and couldn't are used in the past.
An earthquake? That must have been terrifying!
We don't know for sure that Alex broke the coffee table. It might have been the dog.
How did she fail that exam? She can't have studied very much.
Try this exercise to test your grammar.
- Grammar test 1
Read the explanation to learn more.
Grammar explanation
We can use modal verbs for deduction – guessing if something is true using the available information. The modal verb we choose shows how certain we are about the possibility. This page focuses on making deductions about the past.
must have
We use must have + past participle when we feel sure about what happened.
Who told the newspapers about the prime minister's plans? It must have been someone close to him.
The thief must have had a key. The door was locked and nothing was broken.
Oh, good! We've got milk. Mo must have bought some yesterday.
might have / may have
We can use might have or may have + past participle when we think it's possible that something happened.
I think I might have left the air conditioning on. Please can you check?
Police think the suspect may have left the country using a fake passport.
May have is more formal than might have. Could have is also possible in this context but less common.
can't have / couldn't have
We use can't have and couldn't have + past participle when we think it's not possible that something happened.
She can't have driven there. Her car keys are still here.
I thought I saw Adnan this morning but it couldn't have been him – he's in Greece this week.
Do this exercise to test your grammar again.
- Grammar test 2
Hi kyawkyawsoezhu,
Yes, it is part of a third conditional structure! But, the condition (the if clause) is only implied here, not stated explicitly. In full, it would be: I'm sure he would have told me if he'd known. But the first sentence implies the if he'd known part, so the speaker omitted it.
Does that make sense?
Best wishes,
Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Jamalmoghni,
There are many different forms which use have and have been, both as main verbs and as parts of other verbs (perfect forms, passive forms etc). Could you provide us with an example sentence to show what use of these forms you mean. Then we'll be sure we're giving you the right information.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Raaz Gupta,
The modal verb 'could have' has many different uses. One of these is to express deductions about the past, and this is what is described on this page.
You can see other uses of 'could' (including 'could have') -- for example, to express possibility, as in your first example sentence -- explained on our 'can' and 'could' grammar page. I'd also recommend having a look at the Modals with 'have' page as well.
Please note that we don't generally comment on other grammars, but if you see something in the one you are familiar with that seems to differ from what you read here, you are welcome to ask us a specific question about it.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team