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Modals · CEFR B2 · Confident
A possibility in the past that was never taken. Could have is an unused ability; might have is an unproven possibility.
Rebuild this lesson’s reference sentence. Other tasks can have other valid word orders.
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I could have called you, but I forgot.
could have / would have / might have + third form
Question 1 of 1
Choose an answer, then check why it fits.
This is a check of this example, not an English level assessment.
Example 1 of 1
I could have called you, but I forgot.
After "have" the verb takes its third form.
The shape
could have / would have / might have + third form
Talk about what was possible but never happened.
In Hindi
बीते समय की वह संभावना जो कभी हुई नहीं। could have यानी कर सकते थे, might have यानी शायद हुआ हो।
CoCap explains every structure in both languages, because a rule you understand in Hindi is a rule you can use in English.
The sentence Indian-English speakers actually produce, and the reason it is wrong.
| Commonly said | Correct English |
|---|---|
I could have call you, but I forgot. | I could have called you, but I forgot. After "have" the verb takes its third form. |
These come first. The rest of this makes more sense once they are automatic.
Close enough to be mixed up with this one. Knowing the difference is most of knowing either.
Where this structure sits in the ladder, and what surrounds it.
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