Disappointment, Regret, and Advice in the Past Practice

Part 1: Regrets of a Failed Relationship Joe recently broke up with his girlfriend. Now, he is talking with his friend about his regrets. Complete the sentences with the past participle of the underlined verb.

1. I didn’t buy her any gifts. I should have bought her gifts.

2. I didn’t spend enough time with her. We should have spent more time together.

3. I didn’t take her to the movies. I should have taken her to the cinema.

4. I didn’t give her support when she needed it. I should have given her support.

5. I forgot her birthday. I shouldn’t have forgotten her birthday.

6. I didn’t stand by her when she needed me. I should have stood by her.

7. She always wanted to go sky-diving, but I was too scared. I should have been more adventurous.

8. She always wanted to go to exotic restaurants, but we usually ended up eating hamburgers. We should have tried more international dishes together.

9. My fear of flying kept me from traveling internationally with her. I should have flown all over the world with her!

10. I would often hide my emotions from her, which caused miscommunication. I shouldn’t have hidden my emotions.

Part 2: Put the words in order to make a logical and grammatically correct sentence. Careful! Some sentences are progressive and others are not.

The progressive form of should have is: should + have + been + -ing

The simple form of should have is: should + have + past participle

*Both of these forms are for talking about the past!

1. Last night, Emily was dancing in her living room but… She should have been cleaning her apartment.

2. Derek showed up to work wearing two different shoes. He should not have gotten dressed in the dark

3. Shakira’s suitcase burst at the seams midflight.

She should not have packed her entire wardrobe.

4. Max fell down the stairs and sprained his ankle.

He should not have been looking at that pretty woman .

Part 2: What should they have done? Match the negative consequences in the left column to the “past advice” in the right column.

Consequences	In Retrospect… (Advice about the Past)
1. I am so exhausted that I can’t keep my eyes open in class.	a. I shouldn’t have bought everyone I know a souvenir.
2. I only have one day left to complete a very important project for work.	b. I should not have procrastinated.
3. I bought this shirt for almost nothing! Now, of course, it is falling apart.	c. I should have left earlier.
4. I have a debilitating stomachache.	d. I should not have posted something so unprofessional.
5. My vacation isn’t over yet, but I’ve run out of money.	e. I shouldn’t have gone on a 3 mile hike in my bathing suit.
6. I have a terrible sunburn.	f. I should not have stayed up so late.
7. I just ran into Johnny Depp, my favorite actor, in a coffee shop in Hollywood. I was so shocked that all I could do was stare at him awkwardly.	g. I should have stretched and warmed up.
8. There was a lot of traffic and I needed to stop for gas, so I showed up a little late for work.	h. I shouldn’t have eaten an entire cake.
9. My boss saw a very embarrassing photo of me singing karaoke on my online profile.	i. I should have asked him to pay for my order. After all, he has more money than I do!
10. I pulled a muscle while I was working out.	j. I should have spent more money. Then, the product may have been of a higher quality.

Part 4: Correct or incorrect? Decide if the following underlined sentences are correct or incorrect. If there are any errors in the sentence, consider it incorrect. Make the corrections.

1. Gonzalo should have taken the medicine as the doctor prescribed.

2. Akiko shouldn’t have spent so much money while she was on vacation.

3. You should not have gone to work yesterday. You should have been relaxing on the beach with me! It was Saturday!

4. We should have been more careful. I think Joe overheard us gossiping.

5. It is unbelievably hot and humid today! I can’t believe Mike is wearing pants and a long- sleeve shirt. He should have been wearing a tee shirt and shorts!

6. A: Did you understand this chapter? I am totally lost!

B: I suppose that means you should have been listening in class instead of texting your girlfriend!

7. I can’t believe we wasted money on a taxi. Khalid should have picked us up from the airport.

8. If you can’t take care of that mischievous little puppy, you shouldn’t have gotten him in the first place!

9. This is not my mail. It should have been delivered to my neighbor’s house.

10. Gross! There are flies everywhere! We should not have left the windows open last night.