Phrase: Could have...

Could Have

Could have means that something was possible in the past, but it did not happen. If you want to talk about possibility for the past, you can use the expression 'could have'.

  • "You could have bought the cheaper jacket, it looked great on you."



We also use could have to say that we were capable of doing something but we didn’t.

  • "You could have slept early last night but you didn't listen to me. Now, you're running late for work."


Could have is often used with a tone of criticism.

  • "You could have just been honest with me."



It is also used for speculations about things that didn’t happen.

  • "Are you out of your mind?! You could have crashed into that wall!"


More Example Sentences:

"You could have been killed."
"You could have completed your task sooner."
"You could have done better on your exam."
"You could have told me the truth. "

One of the biggest differences between could and could have is that could shows a past ability while could have shows only a past possibility.

  • He could swim very fast before the accident.
  • He could have swum faster if his leg hadn’t hurt him.

Here are some more examples:

  • I could play the piano when I was younger.
  • The girl was crying because she couldn’t find her parents.
  • You could have stopped by the grocery store. We need some milk.
  • I couldn’t have done it without you.




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