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PERFECT STRUCTURES WITH THE ENGLISH MODAL VERBS

The idea of perfect structures may be related on the one hand to some of the
tenses of the Indicative Mood (the present perfect, the past perfect, the future perfect, the
future perfect-in-the-past) or to various moods (the subjunctive past perfect, the
conditional perfect, the perfect infinitive, the perfect gerund, the perfect participle) and
on the other hand to some modal verbs which, when followed by a perfect infinitive,
express a certain modal connotation usually viewed from the past.
Thus one may talk about may/might + a perfect infinitive, can/could + a perfect
infinitive, ought to + a perfect infinitive, neednt + a perfect infinitive, must + a perfect
infinitive.
May/ Might + perfect infinitive
May/might + perfect infinitive is used in speculations about past actions
e.g. He/may/might have gone = It is possible that he went/has gone.
Might must be used when the main verb is in a past tense.
e.g. He said/thought that she might have missed the plane.
Might is also to be used when the uncertainty no longer exists:
He came home alone. You shouldnt have let him do that; he might have got lost.
(but he didnt get lost)
In light of the above if we are to compare the following two sentences:
You shouldnt have drunk the wine: it may have been drugged.
You shouldnt have drunk the wine, it might have been drugged. it is to be noted
that the use of may + a perfect infinitive in the first sentence denotes the fact that we are
still uncertain whether it was drugged or not, whereas might + a perfect infinitive denotes
that we know it was drugged.
Similarly, might + a perfect infinitive is to be used when the matter was never put
to the test as in:
Perhaps we should have taken the other road. It might have been quicker.
Might + a perfect infinitive may also be used in type III of conditional sentences
in the main clause to indicate a possible instead of a certain result:
If you had left it there someone might have stolen it.
Could + a perfect infinitive can be used instead of a may/might + a perfect
infinitive to express possibility with the observation that if in the affirmative they are
almost perfect equivalents, in the negative the meanings differ as follows:
Ann might not have seen Tom yesterday. (perhaps she didnt see him)
Ann couldnt have seen Tom yesterday. (negative deduction: perhaps Ann and
Tom were in different towns)
In the interrogative either might or could + a perfect infinitive may be used:
Could/Might the bank have made a mistake? (Do you think that it is possible that
the bank has made a mistake?)
Could + a perfect infinitive
Could + a perfect infinitive is used for:
1. past ability when the action was not performed
I could have lent you the money. Why didnt you ask me?
This use of could + a perfect infinitive is often combined with neednt + a perfect
infinitive:
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I walked up six flights of stairs. You neednt have walked up; you could have
taken the lift.
Could + a perfect infinitive is also used when we do not know whether the action
was performed or not:
The money has disappeared! Who could have taken it?
Tom could have taken it; he was here alone yesterday.
2. irritation at or reproach for the non-performance of an action in the past:
You could have told me. = I am annoyed/ disappointed that you didnt tell me.
You should have told me.
The same modal connotation of irritation may be expressed with might + a
perfect infinitive.
You might have told us.
Ought to/ should + a perfect infinitive
This construction is used to express an unfulfilled obligation or a sensible action
that was neglected. In the negative it expresses a wrong or foolish action in the past:
You ought to have told him that the paint on that seat was wet.
You should have turned the omelette; he likes it turned.
She oughtnt to have opened the letter; it wasnt addressed to her.
The Emergency Exit doors shouldnt have been blocked.
Neednt + a perfect infinitive
Neednt + a perfect infinitive is used to express an unnecessary action which was
nevertheless performed:
I neednt have written to him because he phoned me shortly afterwards. (= But I
had written, thus wasting my time.)
Must + a perfect infinitive
Must + a perfect infinitive is used to express deduction or strong supposition
about a past action:
He must have come by taxi. (= he had no choice; there was no other way of
making this journey)
On the other hand, negative deductions about a past action are expressed by
can/could + a perfect infinitive or continuous perfect infinitive:
A: A man answered the phone. I suppose it was her husband.
B: It cant/ couldnt have been her husband. Hes been out of town.
However, couldnt + a perfect infinitive must be used when the deduction is made
in the past or introduced by a verb in the past tense:
She said I couldnt have come by bus.
Should + a perfect infinitive
Should + a perfect infinitive is also used:
1. For assumptions about past actions with the observation the assumptions with
should are less confident than assumptions with will. Thus, if we are to compare
the following pair or sentences:
He should have finished by now.
He will have finished by now. it is to be noted that the use of should in the first
sentence implies I expect he has finished, while the use of will implies Im sure he
has finished.
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2. to express a past duty, a past action which was or was not performed and the
speaker besides announcing the performance or the non-performance of the
respective action also expresses his disagreement with what was or was not
performed.
You should have stopped seeing him when you found out he was not an honest
person.
3. whish, desire, inclination about something in the past, a case in which should is
followed by the verb like + a perfect infinitive:
I should like to have had even a quarter of the opportunities you have had.
The same idea can be expressed with should + the perfect infinitive of to like:
I should have liked to come.
4. a past reality or action after the expressions: I dont know why, see no reason why,
cant think why, cant imagine why, as part of a perfect analytical subjunctive.
I cant imagine why he should have behaved so nastily towards Jane.
5. negative purpose in an adverbial clause of purpose introduced by lest:
She began to worry lest he should have met with some accident.