C2 point 214 in the category of MODALITY:
‘couldn’t have’ + ‘-ed’ to speculate about the past
*The same form is also B2 ‘past’.
EXAMPLE:
They couldn’t have anticipated the fire.
A search in iWeb for:
could _X have _VVN
1 COULD N’T HAVE ASKED 3975
2 COULD NOT HAVE ASKED 2238
3 COULD NOT HAVE COME 1653
4 COULD N’T HAVE COME 1398
5 COULD N’T HAVE SAID 1021
6 COULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED 916
7 COULD NOT HAVE IMAGINED 891
8 COULD N’T HAVE MADE 848
9 COULD NOT HAVE KNOWN 840
10 COULD NOT HAVE MADE 832
11 COULD N’T HAVE GONE 794
12 COULD N’T HAVE IMAGINED 739
13 COULD NOT HAVE GONE 694
14 COULD N’T HAVE GOTTEN 600
15 COULD N’T HAVE HAPPENED 596
16 COULD N’T HAVE PICKED 568
17 COULD N’T HAVE KNOWN 566
18 COULD NOT HAVE SAID 472
19 COULD NOT HAVE FOUND 394
20 COULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN 393
21 COULD NOT HAVE WRITTEN 375
22 COULD NOT HAVE FORESEEN 355
23 COULD N’T HAVE CARED 354
24 COULD NOT HAVE TAKEN 353
25 COULD N’T HAVE FOUND 346
26 COULD NOT HAVE ACHIEVED 340
27 COULD NOT HAVE PREDICTED 335
28 COULD N’T HAVE PREDICTED 308
29 COULD NOT HAVE PICKED 307
30 COULD NOT HAVE CHOSEN 286
31 COULD N’T HAVE GOT 285
32 COULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED 281
33 COULD NOT HAVE SEEN 271
34 COULD NOT HAVE EXISTED 266
35 COULD NOT HAVE SURVIVED 263
36 COULD NOT HAVE ANTICIPATED 258
37 COULD N’T HAVE CHOSEN 242
38 COULD N’T HAVE PUT 229
39 COULD N’T HAVE WISHED 223
40 COULD N’T HAVE WRITTEN 223
41 COULD NOT HAVE WISHED 205
42 COULD N’T HAVE WORKED 186
43 COULD NOT HAVE AFFORDED 184
44 COULD N’T HAVE TAKEN 172
45 COULD NOT HAVE GOT 168
46 COULD NOT HAVE CREATED 167
47 COULD N’T HAVE DREAMED 158
48 COULD N’T HAVE HOPED 157
49 COULD NOT HAVE FAILED 157
50 COULD NOT HAVE GIVEN 156
51 COULD NOT HAVE DREAMED 153
52 COULD N’T HAVE SEEN 152
53 COULD NOT HAVE ACCOMPLISHED 147
54 COULD N’T HAVE ACHIEVED 139
55 COULD NOT HAVE EXPECTED 139
56 COULD NOT HAVE CAUSED 138
57 COULD NOT HAVE CARED 138
58 COULD NOT HAVE EVOLVED 137
59 COULD NOT HAVE HOPED 137
60 COULD NOT HAVE REACHED 135
61 COULD N’T HAVE STARTED 135
62 COULD N’T HAVE HELPED 132
63 COULD NOT HAVE TOLD 131
64 COULD N’T HAVE AFFORDED 129
65 COULD NOT HAVE COMMITTED 128
66 COULD NOT HAVE SUCCEEDED 128
67 COULD NOT HAVE WORKED 126
68 COULD NOT HAVE PUT 124
69 COULD NOT HAVE RECEIVED 121
70 COULD N’T HAVE TOLD 121
71 COULD N’T HAVE FORESEEN 119
72 COULD NOT HAVE WON 118
73 COULD NOT HAVE BECOME 117
74 COULD NOT HAVE HELPED 116
75 COULD N’T HAVE ANTICIPATED 116
76 COULD NOT HAVE LIVED 115
77 COULD N’T HAVE LOOKED 114
78 COULD N’T HAVE EXPECTED 113
79 COULD NOT HAVE PRODUCED 111
80 COULD NOT HAVE PREVENTED 111
81 COULD NOT HAVE PASSED 108
82 COULD N’T HAVE PLANNED 108
83 COULD N’T HAVE GIVEN 108
84 COULD NOT HAVE ARISEN 106
85 COULD NOT HAVE STARTED 105
86 COULD NOT HAVE DEVELOPED 103
87 COULD NOT HAVE BELIEVED 102
88 COULD N’T HAVE FELT 102
89 COULD N’T HAVE PLAYED 98
90 COULD NOT HAVE HELD 98
91 COULD NOT HAVE INTENDED 96
92 COULD N’T HAVE WON 95
93 COULD NOT HAVE UNDERSTOOD 94
94 COULD NOT HAVE ARRIVED 94
95 COULD NOT HAVE ACTED 93
96 COULD N’T HAVE GUESSED 93
C1 vocabulary:
accomplished, anticipated, arisen, evolved, foreseen