Master English Modals: "Should" vs. "Should Have" – The Ultimate Guide

Have you ever found yourself hesitating between saying “I should go” and “I should have gone”?

Do you know the difference between giving advice about the present and expressing regret about the past?

If you’re unsure, you’re not alone. Many English learners struggle with the modal verb “should” and its past form “should have.” But here’s the good news: once you understand the basic structure, you’ll never confuse them again.

In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn:

✅ How to use “should” for present and future advice
✅ How to use “should have” for past regret
✅ The difference between regular and irregular verbs in this structure
✅ A bonus usage for expressing expectations
✅ Practical examples you can use immediately

Let’s get started!

Part 1: What Is “Should”?

Before we dive into the differences, let’s understand what “should” actually is.

“Should” is a modal verb (also called a helping verb). Like all modal verbs, it:

Changes the meaning of the main verb slightly
Never changes form—no matter the subject
Always followed by the base form of the verb (no “to”)

Key Grammar Rule:

Subject + should + base form of verb

Examples:

I should go.
You should go.
He/She/It should go.
We should go.
They should go.

Notice how “should” never changes—even with “he,” “she,” or “it.” No “shoulds,” no “shouldes”—just “should.”

Part 2: Using “Should” for Present/Future Advice

When we talk about the present or future, we use “should” to give advice—either to ourselves or to someone else.

Structure:

Subject + should + base form of verb

Personal Examples:

“You should go to the doctor.” (Advice for you now or soon)
“I should apologize to Mary.” (Advice to myself)
“She should call her mother.” (Advice for someone else)

Academic Examples:

“You should study for the exam.”
“You should submit your assignment to the professor.”

Professional Examples:

“You should apply for that job.”
“We should speak to the client.”
“He should inform his manager.”

💡 Pro Tip: While grammar books say “should” is for present and future, it really refers to the future—because anything you do even one minute from now is technically in the future!

Part 3: Using “Should Have” for Past Regret

When we talk about the past, we use “should have” to express regret—wishing that you or someone else had done something differently.

Structure:

Subject + should have + past participle (third form of verb)

Key Grammar Points:

Always should have (never “should has”)
Always followed by the past participle (third form of the verb)
Expresses regret or criticism about something that didn’t happen

Regular Verbs (Add -ed)

Examples:

“I should have apologized to Mary.” (Apologize → apologized)
“I should have studied for that exam.” (Study → studied)
“I should have submitted my assignment.” (Submit → submitted)
“I should have applied for that position.” (Apply → applied)

Irregular Verbs (Change Completely)

Examples:

“I should have gone to the doctor.” (Go → gone)
“We should have spoken to the client.” (Speak → spoken)
“You should have bought that house.” (Buy → bought)
“He should have woken up earlier.” (Wake → woken)

Part 4: Side-by-Side Comparison

Let’s look at the same action expressed in the present/future and the past. Notice how the structure changes:

Present/Future (Advice)	Past (Regret)
You should learn to drive.	You should have learned to drive.
You should call your family.	You should have called your family.
You should pay attention.	You should have paid attention.
You should talk to the professor.	You should have talked to the professor.
You should finish the project.	You should have finished the project.
You should inform your manager.	You should have informed your manager.

With Irregular Verbs

Present/Future (Advice)	Past (Regret)
You should buy that house.	You should have bought that house.
You should have breakfast.	You should have had breakfast.
You should wake up earlier.	You should have woken up earlier.
You should do your homework.	You should have done your homework.
You should go to the meeting.	You should have gone to the meeting.
You should speak to John.	You should have spoken to John.

Part 5: A Special Note About “Should Have Had”

One of the trickiest combinations for English learners is “should have had.”

Why is it confusing? Because it has the word “have” twice!

Breaking It Down:

The first “have” belongs to the modal frame: should have
The second “had” is the past participle of the main verb “have”

Example:

Present/Future: “You should have breakfast.” (Advice: eat breakfast)
Past: “You should have had breakfast.” (Regret: you didn’t eat breakfast)

More Examples:

“I should have had more coffee this morning.” (I didn’t, and now I’m tired)
“She should have had a better plan.” (She didn’t, and it caused problems)

Part 6: Bonus – Using “Should” for Expectations

Beyond giving advice and expressing regret, “should” can also express expectation—something you assume is supposed to happen.

Present/Future Expectation

Use should + base verb to say something is expected to happen soon.

Examples:

“The bus should arrive anytime now.”
“The package should be delivered today.”
“She should call us back this afternoon.”

Past Expectation

Use should have + past participle to say something was expected to happen but perhaps hasn’t.

Examples:

“The bus should have arrived by now.” (It hasn’t arrived yet—I’m starting to wonder)
“The package should have been delivered yesterday.” (It wasn’t—something might be wrong)
“She should have called us by now.” (She hasn’t—I’m concerned)

Key Difference:

Should arrive = I expect it to arrive soon
Should have arrived = I expected it to arrive by now, but it didn’t

Part 7: Pronunciation Tips

Pronouncing “should have” correctly will make you sound more natural.

Full Form	Natural Pronunciation
should have	should’ve (should-uv)
should not have	shouldn’t have (should-unt uv)

Examples in Natural Speech:

“I should’ve gone to the party.”
“You should’ve told me earlier.”
“We shouldn’t have waited so long.”

💡 Pro Tip: “Should’ve” sounds exactly like “should of” to the ear—but never write “should of.” That’s a common mistake even native speakers make!

Part 8: Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Using “Should” for the Past

❌ Incorrect: “I should go to the doctor yesterday.”
✅ Correct: “I should have gone to the doctor yesterday.”

Why? When you’re talking about the past, you need “should have” + past participle.

Mistake 2: Changing “Should” for Different Subjects

❌ Incorrect: “He shoulds go.”
✅ Correct: “He should go.”

Why? Modal verbs never change form. It’s always “should” for every subject.

Mistake 3: Using the Wrong Verb Form

❌ Incorrect: “I should have go to the doctor.”
✅ Correct: “I should have gone to the doctor.”

Why? After “should have,” you need the past participle (third form), not the base form.

Mistake 4: Writing “Should of”

❌ Incorrect: “I should of gone.”
✅ Correct: “I should have gone.”

Why? “Should of” is a spelling error. The correct form is “should have.”

Mistake 5: Using “Should Have” for Positive Advice

❌ Incorrect: “You should have study for the exam tomorrow.” (If the exam is tomorrow, use present/future)
✅ Correct: “You should study for the exam tomorrow.”

Why? “Should have” is for past regret. For future advice, just use “should.”

Part 9: Quick Reference Cheat Sheet

Usage	Structure	Meaning	Example
Present/Future Advice	should + base verb	Giving advice	“You should apply for that job.”
Past Regret	should have + past participle	Expressing regret	“I should have applied for that job.”
Present/Future Expectation	should + base verb	Expecting something	“The bus should arrive soon.”
Past Expectation	should have + past participle	Expected but didn’t happen	“The bus should have arrived by now.”

Part 10: Practice Quiz

Test yourself! Choose the correct form for each sentence.

1. “You look tired. You _______ to bed earlier.” (should go / should have gone)

Answer: should go — This is advice for now (present/future).

2. “I _______ to the party last night, but I was too tired.” (should go / should have gone)

Answer: should have gone — This is regret about the past.

3. “The package _______ by now. What’s taking so long?” (should arrive / should have arrived)

Answer: should have arrived — This is an expectation about the past.

4. “She _______ apologize to her boss for the mistake.” (should / should have)

Answer: should — This is advice for the present/future.

5. “We _______ spoken to the client earlier.” (should / should have)

Answer: should have — This is regret about the past.

6. “You _______ had breakfast before your meeting.” (should / should have)

Answer: should have — This is regret about the past (you didn’t eat).

7. “He _______ submit his assignment by Friday.” (should / should have)

Answer: should — This is advice/future expectation.

8. “The doctor _______ called us by now. I’m worried.” (should / should have)

Answer: should have — This is an expectation about the past (she hasn’t called).

Part 11: Real-Life Conversation Examples

At Work

Manager: “We have a big presentation tomorrow.”
Employee: “I know. I should prepare my slides tonight.” (Advice to self)

Next day:
Manager: “The presentation went well!”
Employee: “It did, but I should have prepared more.” (Regret about the past)

At Home

Friend 1: “I’m so tired today.”
Friend 2: “You should have gone to bed earlier last night.”

In a Restaurant

Customer: “This soup is cold.”
Waiter: “I apologize. The kitchen should have served it sooner.”

Traveling

Tourist: “Where is the train?”
Local: “It should arrive in five minutes.”
Five minutes later…
Tourist: “It hasn’t come yet.”
Local: “It should have arrived by now. Let’s check the schedule.”

Part 12: How to Remember the Difference

Memory Trick #1: Think About Time

“Should” = Now or future → “I should do”
“Should have” = Past → “I should have done”

Memory Trick #2: Think About Feelings

“Should” = Advice, suggestion → “You should…”
“Should have” = Regret, wish → “I wish I had…”

Memory Trick #3: Look for Clues

Look for time expressions in the sentence:

Now/Future: “today,” “tomorrow,” “next week,” “soon” → Use “should”
Past: “yesterday,” “last week,” “earlier,” “by now” → Use “should have”

Part 13: Final Tips for Mastery

Practice both forms together. Don’t just learn “should”—learn the pair (“should” and “should have”) so you can easily switch between them.
Use real-life contexts. Think about your own experiences: What advice would you give to a friend? What do you regret from last week?
Listen to native speakers. Pay attention to how they use “should’ve” in movies, podcasts, and conversations.
Write sentences about your day. After each day, write one thing you should have done differently. This makes the grammar personal and memorable.
Take the quiz. Head over to our website to test your knowledge with interactive exercises.

Summary: The Essential Difference

“Should”	“Should Have”
Present/Future	Past
Giving advice	Expressing regret
Suggestion for action	Wishing something had happened
“You should study.”	“You should have studied.”
“I should apologize.”	“I should have apologized.”

Put Your Skills Into Practice

Now that you’ve mastered “should” and “should have,” it’s time to use them!

Your Challenge: Write two sentences in the comments below:

One piece of advice using “should” (for someone you know)
One regret using “should have” (about your own past)

Example:

“You should take a break when you’re feeling stressed.”
“I should have started learning English earlier!”

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Master English Modals: “Should” vs. “Should Have” – The Ultimate Guide