You might have seen a sentence that uses MODAL VERB + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE, like “you might have seen“. 😀
When do we use such grammar construction?
Let’s take a closer look! 😉
We use might (may or could) + have + past participle (3d form of the verb) when we are not 100% sure whether something happened or not. In other word, we are guessing about what we think happened.
For example,
- He could have broken my car window.
- My teacher might have called my parents about my bad grades.
- She may have stolen my lipstick.
We also use the modal verb MUST when we have a stronger opinion about what happened. So, when we feel sure that something happened in the past.
For example,
- He must have left the lights on in the house because out electricity bill was huge.
- The neighbours must have stolen my Christmas lights.
We also use MUST when we want to express a personal opinion in the past.
- She must have been beautiful when she was young.
- Josh must have been a popular guy back in college.
Read more:
Use of Modal Verbs in English Grammar