Verbs like โwould haveโ and โcould haveโย areย modal verbs. So like other normal verbs, they do not have past forms. Hence, people can talk about the past by adding a past participle after โcould haveโ and โwould haveโ in a sentence.
They both almost mean the same thing, but their meanings would completely change if exchanged with each other in a sentence.
Key Takeaways
- Would have is used to describe something that did not happen in the past but was a possibility, while could have is used to describe something possible but did not happen in the past.
- Would have is used to express regret, disappointment, or a missed opportunity, while could have is used to express the potential for a different outcome.
- Would have is often used to speculate about what might have happened if different choices had been made, while could have is often used to describe a missed opportunity or a hypothetical scenario.
Would Have vs Could Have
โCould haveโ is used to indicate the possibility that an event could occur in retrospect, but it didnโt occur in real life. It also indicates the failure of a chance. โWould haveโ represents the chances of occurrence of an event or a act in a imaginary situation that actually didnโt happen.

The expression โwould haveโ often is used to ascertain or express certainty in case of an event or happening. When a person wants to indicate and describe if a certain action happened certainly, then the outcome would have taken place by using would have.
The expression โcould haveโ often denotes that something could have happened in the past if a specific thing was done, but a person didnโt do it. Itโs a modal of ability.
Comparison Table
Parameters of comparison | Would Have | Could Have |
---|---|---|
Meaning | โWould haveโ often is used in sentences when we talk about a situation that we only imagine or of things that frequently happened in the past. | โCould haveโ is mainly used to discuss possible actions or happenings in the present or the future. |
Situation | It denotes a possible situation | It denotes an imaginary situation. |
Usage | โWould haveโ is used to make the request offer and seek permission. | โCould haveโ is used in making suggestions, requests, or seeking permission. |
Tense | โWould haveโ denotes possibility in a sentence. | โCould haveโ denotes certainty and ability in a sentence. |
Example | She would attend the meeting if she were well. | She could have finished her homework, but she chose not to. |
What is Would Have?
โWould haveโ is used when a person wants to show if someone wants to do something or not (volition). A person can also use โwould haveโ when talking about something they wanted but didnโt.
The term โwould haveโ is used when something almost certain to happen in a normal course did not happen or something went wrong due to which it did not happen.
Example:
1. I would have eaten breakfast but got late for the office.
2. I would have done my homework but didnโt understand anything.
3.ย Iย would have been late if the bus hadnโt arrived on time.
โWould haveโ is a possibility for an event to happen or not happen due to external forces. It is used to describe the ability of a sentence.
Regarding requests, we can use both โcould haveโ and โwould have,โ but โcould haveโ is more formal and polite than โwould have.โ
While making polite requests, โcould haveโ is used with suggestions, indicating a possibility. On the contrary, โwould haveโ is used with offers or invites because it is more usual.
Whatย isย Could Have?
โCould haveโ is used when a person wants to make a confident approximate guess about something that happened in the past. This is a modal of possibility.
In this case, the guess a person is making a statement may or may not be true. It is just a point of opinion that may have happened.
โCould haveโ is an expression often used to describe or express the possibility of something that could have happened. It implies that when people use could have in a sentence, they are implying that there existed a possibility of something happening, but it did not.
Example:
1. You could have attended the party but decided not to.
2. I could have stayed up late, but I had my exam the next morning, so I decided to go to bed early.
3. He could have studied harder but was lazy enough, so he failed the exam.
โCould haveโ denotes that something was possible with a fair possibility of fulfilling certain conditions. When people talk about the last use they could have, we refer to things they could have done in the past but chose not to or couldnโt.
When people talk about possibility, it should be understood that when they say there was a possibility of something happening, the possibility of a thing not going down the way they want to be, is also considered.
Main Differences Between Would Have and Couldย Have
- โWould haveโ is used to denote the possibility of something, whereas โcould haveโ is used to indicate certainty or ability of something.
- โWould haveโ shows a personโs desire to do something, but they could not, whereas โcould haveโ indicates that something was possible in the past but didnโt happen.
- ย โWouldย haveโ is used as past tense action, whereas โcould haveโ describes past tense actions.
- ย โWouldย haveโ is used in a sentence to convey a desired tone. Whereas โcould haveโ is used to hold a manner of criticism.
- ย โWouldย haveโ in a sentence denotes a specific consequence of an unreal condition, whereas โcould haveโ in a particular sentence indicates a possible result of an actual situation.
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00138383208596592
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0028393213000298

Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.