could have/might have

[navi tasan]

Are 1 and 2 both correct and do they mean the same?

1-Yesterday, when leaving for work, I took my raincoat because it could have rained.
2-Yesterday, when leaving for work, I took my raincoat because it might have rained.
Meaning: Yesterday, when leaving for work, I took my raincoat because I thought it might rain.


Are 3 and 4 both correct and do they mean the same?

3-He is not home. He could have gone shopping.
4-He is not home. He might have gone shopping.
Meaning: He is not home. It is possible that he has gone shopping.

Gratefully,
Navi.

 

[White Hat]

He is not home. He could have gone shopping. This implies that he did NOT go shopping even though he had a chance to.
He is not home. He might have gone shopping. This implies that there is a possibility that he went shopping.

Yesterday, when leaving for work, I took my raincoat because it could [STRIKE]have rained[/STRIKE] rain. Personally, I see no reason to use that type of construction in this sentence. We don't know if it rained that day - the guy took his raincoat with him to be on the safe side.

 

[MikeNewYork]

He is not home. He could have gone shopping. This implies that he did NOT go shopping even though he had a chance to.

That makes no sense. If he didn't go shopping, it doesn't explain his absence.

In that use, "could" indicates a possibility.

 

[White Hat]

That's interesting. I always thought that "could have" implies that something could've been done but wasn't, whereas "might have" implies that there is a possibility something was done. Truly, live and learn!

 

[emsr2d2]

"Could have" can have that meaning.

"He is not home. He has gone to the cinema. He could have gone shopping but he decided to see a film instead."

There it denotes that he did not go shopping even though the possibility existed.

 

[MikeNewYork]

It all depends on context.

 

[White Hat]

"Could have" can have that meaning.

"He is not home. He has gone to the cinema. He could have gone shopping but he decided to see a film instead."

There it denotes that he did not go shopping even though the possibility existed.

That's the way I see it too. There is a possibility that the two verbs - could and might - are used interchangeably in certain places.

 

[probus]

1-Yesterday, when leaving for work, I took my raincoat because it could have rained.
2-Yesterday, when leaving for work, I took my raincoat because it might have rained.
3-He is not home. He could have gone shopping.
4-He is not home. He might have gone shopping.

In my opinion 1 and 3 are frequently heard in AmE although they are not very logical. Speakers of AmE would also understand 2 and 4, and I think speakers of BrE would prefer 2 and 4 to 1 and 3.