This is used for two reasons \u2014 first, to express a degree of certainty of an event in the past; second, to frame a conditional phrase for a past event.<\/p>\n
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✅ Bryan can\u2019t have committed<\/strong> the crime as he was in another country at the moment of the murder.<\/p>\n✅ Sally can\u2019t have been hungry<\/strong> as she had already had two regular pizzas a little while earlier.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nIn the above examples, the speaker is expressing a degree of certainty about the events. Evidently, the speaker is saying that there was no way Bryan committed the crime as he was elsewhere when the murder was committed.<\/p>\n
Similarly, in the second example, the speaker is refusing to believe<\/strong> that Sally was hungry since she\u2019d already eaten enough just a while ago.<\/p>\nAs you can see, Can\u2019t Have (Been) is used only when you\u2019re referring to an event in the past. So, don\u2019t let the \u201ccan\u2019t\u201d lead you to think it can be used in the present tense.<\/p>\n
Couldn\u2019t Have (Been)<\/h2>\n This is used, broadly, in three different scenarios.<\/p>\n
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✅ Expressing Impossibility of a Past Event<\/p>\n
✅ Expressing Hypothetical Conditions<\/p>\n
✅ Expressing One\u2019s Inability in the Past<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Expressing the Impossibility of a Past Event<\/h3>\n As with the Can\u2019t Have (Been), Couldn\u2019t Have (Been) can also be used to express the impossibility of a past event.<\/p>\n
Here are some examples:<\/p>\n
\n
✅ They couldn\u2019t have kept track of the exact time as the clock didn\u2019t exist back in those times.<\/p>\n
✅ Mary couldn\u2019t have defeated her opponent as she didn\u2019t have any formal training in boxing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
In the examples above, the speaker is talking about the impossibility of the outcome under a specific circumstance.<\/p>\n
As you can see, both Can\u2019t Have (Been) and Couldn\u2019t Have (Been) are used to express the impossibility of a result in the past.<\/p>\n
So, what\u2019s the real difference in their usage?<\/p>\n
While Can\u2019t Have (Been) is used to refer to an incident in the near past, Couldn\u2019t Have (Been) is used for an event that happened way back in the past.<\/h3>\n Let\u2019s use some examples for comparison:<\/p>\n
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✅ He\u2019s been limping since this past week; he can\u2019t have won the race yesterday at all.<\/p>\n
✅ Her father couldn\u2019t have been rich overnight; he came from a pretty humble background.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
As you can see, in the first example, the speaker is talking about the impossibility of the outcome of an event that\u2019s related to the near past.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, in the second example, the speaker negates the probability related to an event occurring in the remote past.<\/p>\n
Expressing Hypothetical Conditions<\/h3>\n Using Couldn\u2019t Have (Been) to express a hypothetical condition is very common in everyday conversations. It\u2019s typically used with \u201chad (been)\u201d.<\/p>\n
For example<\/strong>: \u201cI couldn\u2019t have succeeded if she hadn\u2019t offered any help.\u201d<\/p>\nOf course, you can also say, \u201cI couldn\u2019t have succeeded without her help\u201d.<\/p>\n
The point is there\u2019s a condition involved here.<\/p>\n
REMEMBER<\/strong>: When \u201cCouldn\u2019t Have\u201d is used as a past conditional, \u201cCan\u2019t Have\u201d cannot be substituted, in any style.<\/p>\nFor example<\/strong>: \u201cJon couldn\u2019t have (Not Can\u2019t Have<\/em>) made it to the top without his support from his family.\u201d<\/p>\nIf you\u2019re looking for more examples, please, read this guide on the conditional hypothesis<\/a>.<\/p>\nExpressing One\u2019s Inability in the Past<\/h3>\n You can use \u201cCouldn\u2019t Have (Been)\u201d to express your lack of ability, talent, skills in the past.<\/p>\n
For example<\/strong>: \u201cSandra was talented enough to pass the grueling test; I know I couldn\u2019t have made it.\u201d<\/p>\nThat\u2019s it! I hope you enjoyed reading this guide and found it useful. Let me know if you have any questions!<\/p>\n
Search Terms<\/strong>: can’t have meaning, can’t have done, couldn’t vs couldn’t have, could not have been grammar, couldn’t have been better meaning, can’t have sentences, couldn’t have been meaning, couldn’t of grammar<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"While Can\u2019t Have (Been) is used to refer to an incident in the near past, Couldn\u2019t Have (Been) is used for an event that happened way back in the past.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"viral-post","_genesis_custom_post_class":"viral-post","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Can\u2019t Have Been vs. Couldn\u2019t Have Been: How to Use Them Correctly - Common English Errors<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n