should have..could have

 

                            From English drama "Sherlock" S03X03

 

After Sherlock's lie to get into Magnussun's private room had been exposed to Janine.. she said

 

"You shouldn’t have lied to me. I know what kind of man you are.

        (but you did) 거짓말은 하지 말았어야지.

We could’ve been friends.

   (but we are not anymore.)

      친구는 될 수 있었을텐데..

 

should have+past participle is used to talk about past event which did not happen, or which may or may not have happend.*

should have + pp 는 일어나진 않았으나 일어나야 했던, 혹은 했어야 했으나 하지 않은 과거의 상황을 나타내는데 사용됩니다. (~했어야 했는데)

 

EX) How could you do this to me? You shouldn't have left me alone on

      my birthday! (but you did.)

    어떻게 나한테 이럴 수 있어? 내 생일에 혼자 남겨두는 건 아니지! (그러지 말았어야지)

     I should have phoned my roommate to tell that I was gonna stay out, but I

     forgot. 

    룸메한테 안 들어간다고 전화했어야 했는데, 잊어버렸다. 

 

could have+past participle is used to talk about unrealised past ability or opportunities.*

could have + pp 는 실현되지 않은 기회나 가능성, 즉 할 수 있었으나 하지 않은 일, 일어날 수 있었지만 일어나지 않을 일을 나타내는데 사용됩니다. (~할 수 있었는데, ~할 뻔했는데)

 

Ex)Be careful! You could have hurt yourself. (Fortunately you are okay.)

     조심해! 다칠 뻔했어. (너 다칠 수 있었어) (다행히 괜찮음0

     *You could have helped me - why did you just sit and watch?

      (criticising sbd for not doing things.)

       도와줄 수도 있었잖아. 왜 그냥 앉아서 지켜보기만 했니?

    We couldn't have made it. So we gave up.

       우린 아마 못 했을거야. 그래서 포기했지.

      (*Negative sentences suggest that sbd would not have been

         able to do sth even if they wanted or tried to) 

      (*부정문은 원하거나 시도했더라도 실현되지 않았을 것이라는 사상 전달)

 

 

 

Concerning may have + past participle and other similar structures, I will post later. See ya.

 

 

 

 

 

* from 'Practical English Usage'