Should have – for unfulfilled past obligation
| Should have: expressing unfulfilled obligation in the past |
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| Structure: should + (not) have + past participle of verb |
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| We use should have to say that someone didn't do something, but it would have been the correct thing to do it. | You should have told them the truth. You shouldn't have gone there – it was a mistake. I don't think you should have done it. |
| We often use should have to express regret about the past, or to say that we made a mistake. | I’m sorry for shouting at you – I shouldn’t have raised my voice. |
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Practise this grammar (intermediate level exercise): Should vs. should have |