What is the meaning of could have been?

Could have means that something was possible in the past, but it did not happen. Native speakers often do not pronounce their past tense modals as clearly as Tiffany. Could have been usually gets contracted to could’ve been or even coulda’ been.

When to use could have been?

Could +have -indicates a possible past action which was not done by the subject eg: she could have gone to the party but she was not interested. ‘been’ is the perfect tense of ‘am/is/are’.

Could have been is correct?

“Could have been” = could have + the verb BE. Examples: I could have been there on time if I had left home earlier. (= It was possible for me to be there on time, but it didn’t happen.)

Could be could have been?

“Could be” is used for potential future events: If I invest in the right stock, I could be rich! “Could have been” is used for potential past events, or ongoing events up to the present moment: If I had invested in the right stocks back in the 1980’s, I could have been rich by now.

Had been meaning?

“Had been” is used to mean that something happened in the past and has already ended. “Have been” and “has been” are used to mean that something began in the past and has lasted into the present time.

Can have been sentences?

A: – During our phone calls, Peter assured me he fed my cat every week, but now she is dead! B: – Can he have been lying? [Question: possible, though I’d say “could he have been” is better here.] A: – No, he can’t have been lying, he has been my best friend for years.

Could have been used in English?

1: Could have + past participle means that something was possible in the past, or you had the ability to do something in the past, but that you didn’t do it. (See also modals of ability.)

What come after could?

Could is followed by a main verb. The main verb also stays in its base form. The main verb that is used with could does not change form according to the subject.

Can have been?

“Can have been” is mostly used in questions or with negations, but often “could have been” sounds slightly better. When you want to express a plain possibility, it sounds a bit odd to me; “may have been” often sounds more natural. “Can have been” is also used to echo an earlier use of a similar phrase, which is fine.

Had been have been?

Had VS had been meaning?

They are two different words that convey different meanings. The word ‘had’ is an auxiliary verb, and it is used in the past perfect tense. On the other hand, the word ‘had been’ is an auxiliary verb, and it is used in the past perfect continuous tense. This is the main difference between the two words.

What’s the meaning of “would have been”?

“Would have” is used together with a main verb. When you see “would have” in a sentence it means that the action didn’t actually happen, because something else didn’t happen first. – If I had received the money, I would have given it to you.

What does could have been mean?

Could is a verb with many senses. Could is the past tense of can, a verb used to denote ability. In this sense, could refers to some ability that someone had in the past . In high school, I could dunk a basketball.

When to use would and could?

Would vs Could. “Would” and “could” are two English language words which are the past tense of the words “will” and “can.” “Would” and “could” are used for representing the past tense as well as in the present tense to express a request. They are used for other expressions also which will be discussed here.

What is the meaning of could be?

1. Used to indicate ability or permission in the past: I could run faster then. Only men could go to the club in those days. 2. Used with hypothetical or conditional force: If we could help, we would. 3. Used to indicate tentativeness or politeness: I could be wrong.