could have/might have/would have

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eliff

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Aug 30, 2011
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Hello,

Could you please check the sentence whether they are correct?

Normally we use 'could have/might/would have' have in past.But Today I was surprised when hearing this.

a) If I had gone to school, I would have found a jon now.

b) You could have done my homework now.But I didn't.

Thanks
 
Hello,

Could you please check the sentence whether they are correct?

Normally we use 'could have/might/would have' have in past.But Today I was surprised when hearing this.

a) If I had gone to school, I would have found a job by now.
This is fine, and "could have found" would also be fine.

b) You could have done my homework now.But I didn't.
This doesn't make any sense if the whole thing is said by the same person.

Thanks

Why were you surprised to hear the first one?
 
Last edited:
Thank you first.I thought that we had to use 'could have/might/would have' have' with the past adverb of time.But I think that 'now' shows the term from past to now.

Is that right?

For example :You could have done my homework now.But you didn't.
 
Thank you first.I thought that we had to use 'could have/might/would have' have' with the past adverb of time.But I think that 'now' shows the term from past to now.

Is that right?

For example :You could have done my homework by now.But you didn't.
You can't use "now" with this sentence. You can use "by now".
This also needs fixing:
a) If I had gone to school, I would have found a job by now.
"By now" does refer to the past.
 
a) If I had gone to school, I would have found a job by now.
"By now" does refer to the past.
Though it's a past that extends up to the present moment.
 
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