If the weather had been fine, we would have gone out.

[tufguy]

If the weather had been fine, we would have gone out.

Can we also say "We might have gone out" or "We may have gone out"? I am confused because "Might have done" has a different meaning. Like "He is bleeding, he might have fallen down". Although you told me that "Would have done" and "might have done" can be used in future tense as well.


Please check.

 

[Matthew Wai]

I think we can say 'we might have gone out', which refers to a past possibility.
I would not say 'we may have gone out' because we have not gone out.

 

[Matthew Wai]

I think he means something like 'We may/might have done so next Sunday', which refers to the future.

 

[tufguy]

Who told you that? May/might have done cannot be used 'in the future tense'. These forms do not have a future tense.

But in one of my threads in which I had asked about the usage of "Would have done" and "Might have done" in future tense. You told me that these can be used in future tense as well in place of "Will have done". If we are less sure about something then "Would" or "Might" have done can be used (I gave the reference of a newspaper article as well). Is this incorrect?

"I believe 50 years from now when you write history, one technology that would have changed human civilization is going to be the mobile internet." (This is the article I am refering to)


"If the weather had been fine, we might have gone out" here "Might have done" is working as "Would have done" is it correct?

 

[tufguy]

Please provide a link to that thread.

I am also trying to search that but I think it has been removed. You can search "Would have done for future tufguy" on Google and you can get the link but it is not working. It has been removed I don't know why.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Do you mean this https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/242204-Would-have-done-for-future

 

[tufguy]

Do you mean this https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/242204-Would-have-done-for-future

Yes but it is not opening.

 

[tufguy]

Do you mean this https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/242204-Would-have-done-for-future

https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/241647-Tim-s-brother-will-have-left-for-the-office

Check out this one as well.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Do you understand the post below?
https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/239233-could-have-done?p=1251024&viewfull=1#post1251024

The time under consideration could be in the present, the past, or the future.
That is my understanding.

 

[tufguy]

Do you understand the post below?
https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/239233-could-have-done?p=1251024&viewfull=1#post1251024

The time under consideration could be in the present, the past, or the future.
That is my understanding.

Check the link that I have shared.

 

[tufguy]

One question to native speakers. Can "May" or "Might" or "Would" have done be used for future reference?

I believe 50 years from now when you write history, one technology that would have changed human civilization is going to be the mobile internet.

Please check out this parahgraph as well "Would have done" is used for future here.

Can we say "If the weather had been fine, we might have gone out"? Can "May have done" be used like this?

 

[Matthew Wai]

How could the past perfect 'had been fine' refer to the future?

 

[tufguy]

That sentence is just about possible (if mobile internet means something) , though 'will' is a more natural choice than 'would'.That sentence can refer to the future only in the highly unlikely context that we know for an absolute fact that the weather will not be fine at the future time referred to. This is possible in a science fiction story, but not in real life.

So we can't say "If the weather had been fine, we might have gone out" but I read it in Ramond murphy's grammar book.

You also told me that "May" or "Might" or "Would" have done can be used for future. Are you saying only "Will have done" can be used for future even though we are not certain about what we are saying?

"Had been" is past not future.

 

[tufguy]

What exactly did Murphy say about this sentence?

Can you provide a working link to the thread in which I said that?
No. I have never said that.

That thread has been removed. You can search "Would have done for future tufguy".

Raymond Murphy mentioned about the use of "If had done, would have done" in that chapter. He mentioned we can use "Would have done" or "Could have done" or "Might have done" after "If had done" phrase.

Could you please tell me whether we can use "Would have done" or "Might have done" in place of "Will have done"? I am so confused about it. Please help.

 

[tufguy]

"If the weather had been fine, we might have gone out" I know the meaning of "Might have done" but in this sentence it has the same meaning as "Would have done". But normaly we use "Might have done" for the possibility like "He might have met her in the hotel but I am not sure".

No, I think I confused you I am asking whether "Would" or "Might" have done can be used for future as well?

If he had caught the 8:30 flight, he might have got home before midnight. In this sentence we are not sure whether he reached home or not Am I correct?

If he had caught the 8:30 flight, he would have got home before midnight. In this sentences we are thinking of a situation that was possible but didn't take place.

If he had caught the 8:30 flight, he could have got home before midnight. In this sentence there was a possibility of him getting home before midnight. It is also same as the last one.

If he had caught the 8:30 flight, he should have got home before midnight. In this one we are saying that why he didn't reach home before midnight if he had taken that flight.

Am I correct? In all of these sentences it is not an imaginary situation except "Would" and "Could" have done. When we say "If had done" so normally it means that we are talking about a situation that was possible but didn't happen we are imagining that what it would have liked if this had happened. Is it used differently as well?

 

[tufguy]

Sorry to post comment again but my question was whether "Would" or "Might" have done be used in place of "Will have done"?

 

[emsr2d2]

Sorry to post comment again but my question was whether "Would" or "Might" have done be used in place of "Will have done"?

What did you mean by the words in red above?

 

[tufguy]

What did you mean by the words in red above?

Would have done and might have done.

Are you saying that we should stick to "Will have done" only for future reference? Like "He will have reached here by the end of the day" even if we are not sure about the thing that is going to take place. "Would have done", "Might have done" and "May have done" can only be used for past tense. The article that I showed you, it should have had "Will have done" instead of "Would have done". Am I correct?

 

[Matthew Wai]

Like "He will have reached here by the end of the day" even if we are not sure about the thing that is going to take place.

I would use 'might/may' instead of 'will' if I am not sure.

 

[tufguy]

I would use 'might/may' instead of 'will' if I am not sure.

This is what I have been asking about. But Piscean is saying that "May" or "Might" can't be used.