1. Advisability in the Past7
Advisability in the Past
Home Alone
Focus on Grammar 4
Part VII, Unit 16
By Ruth Luman, Gabriele Steiner, and BJ Wells
Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

2. Home Alone 1 Joe and Amy have been married less than a year.
When Amy returned, the house was
a mess!
Last month, Amy’s mother had
an operation. . .
. . .so Amy went back to her
hometown to take care of her.

3. Home Alone 2 You could have paid the phone bill.
You ought to have fed the cat!
You might have taken out the trash.
What’s so hard about that?
You shouldn’t have gone away.
You could have stayed at home.
You should have taken care of me,
not left me on my own.

4. Home Alone 3 You should have done the laundry.
You might have washed the car!
At least you could have mowed the lawn.
SPOILED! Is what you are!
You’ve made it very clear.
I really need a maid.
Go back to your mother’s, dear.
That’s where you should have stayed.

5. Modals of Advisability
Use modals to talk about actions and states that were advisable in the past, but did not happen.
should have
ought to have
could have
might have +
past participle
You should have done the laundry.

6. Contractions Use contractions in informal writing and speaking.
Joe could’ve
Joe could have mowed the lawn.
He might’ve
He might have washed the car.
You shouldn’t
You should not have gone away.

7. Negative Statements
Use should not have and ought not to have for negative statements.
You shouldn’t have gone away.
Amy ought not to have left.

8. Read the police report about a robbery
Read the police report about a robbery. Discuss what this family should or shouldn’t have done.
Practice 1
Robbery at 1301 Maple Street, June 7, 2005.
Estimated loss: Substantial.
No forced entry. No alarm. Door opened with key found under welcome mat. Neighbors report empty garbage cans at curb for several days. Lawn overgrown. Newspapers piled up on front steps. Curtains open and electronic equipment visible from street. Car unlocked.
Example: They shouldn’t have put a key under the mat. That’s the obvious place to look.

9. Questions Should have is the most common form used in questions.
Should Joe have done the laundry?
Should Amy have stayed at home?

10. Short Answers Use the modal and have to make short answers.
Should Joe have done the laundry?
Should Amy have stayed at home?
Yes, she should have.
No, he shouldn’t have.

11. Do not write of instead of have.
Pronunciation 1
In informal speech, have in modal phrases is often pronounced like the word of.
Joe might of taken out the trash.
Joe might have taken out the trash.
Do not write of instead of have.

12. Pronunciation 2
In informal speech, to in ought to is pronounced like the word a.
Joe ought to have fed the cat.
He ought to have trimmed the hedge.

13. Practice 2 Example: You overslept and were late to work.
Here are some problems you faced yesterday morning. What should you have done?
Practice 2
Example: You overslept and were late to work.
1. According to the scale, you gained five pounds.
2. You had no clean socks.
3. There was no hot water.
I ought to have set the alarm.
4. You couldn’t find the car keys.
I might have gone to bed earlier.
5. You forgot to feed the dog.
I shouldn’t have gone to that party!

14. References
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