The last fable in our first scroll, and the one that everybody knows, even people who have never heard of Aesop.
Aesop’s Fables · Part 1 · Modal verbs: the past
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
Should have, shouldn’t have, must have, can’t have, might have, would have and needn’t have: the grammar of looking back, judged by Sophia, argued by Marcos and Demetria, and precisely footnoted by Philo.
🐺 Play the story too: in the gamebook, you are the shepherd boy.Play the gamebook →
SOPHIA
MARCOS
The boy who lies, and the wolf that eats the sheep. I always thought the villagers were a bit unfair.
The fable
After Aesop
A shepherd boy looked after the village sheep on the hill. It was a quiet, lonely job, and he was bored.
One day, for fun, he ran down to the village shouting, “Wolf! Wolf! A wolf is attacking the sheep!” All the villagers ran up the hill with sticks, but there was no wolf. The boy laughed at them.
A few days later, he did it again. Again the villagers ran up the hill, and again there was no wolf.
Then one evening, a real wolf came out of the forest. “Wolf! Wolf!” cried the boy, as loudly as he could. But this time, nobody came. “He must be joking again,” they said.
And the wolf ate as many sheep as it wanted.
A liar will not be believed, even when he speaks the truth.
Should have, shouldn’t have: criticism and regret
DEMETRIA
He shouldn’t have lied. That’s the whole story.
SOPHIA
And the whole grammar. Should have + past participle criticises or regrets a past action: he should have told the truth (he didn’t). Shouldn’t have: he shouldn’t have lied (he did).
Must have, can’t have: sure about the past
MARCOS
When he shouted the third time, the villagers thought: he must have been joking. There can’t have been a wolf.
SOPHIA
Deductions about the past, and wrong ones. Must have: I’m sure it happened. Can’t have (or couldn’t have): I’m sure it didn’t. The villagers were sure, and wrong.
Might have, could have: perhaps it happened
PHILO
A careful villager would have thought: he might have been telling the truth this time. It could have been a real wolf.
SOPHIA
Might have / may have / could have + past participle: a past possibility. And could have has a second meaning we met with the Hare: something that was possible but didn’t happen: they could have saved the sheep.
Would have: the other story
DEMETRIA
If he had told the truth the first two times, they would have come.
SOPHIA
Would have + past participle describes an imaginary past, the story that didn’t happen: they would have come; the sheep would have been safe. It usually goes with if + past perfect.
Needn’t have or didn’t need to?
THE CLERK
I ran all the way here with the scroll. I needn’t have run: the Librarian is late.
PHILO
A fine footnote, from the Clerk himself. Needn’t have run = he ran, but it wasn’t necessary. Didn’t need to run = it wasn’t necessary (and usually he didn’t). The villagers needn’t have run up the hill the first two times.
Sophia’s summary
| Form | Use | From the fable |
|---|---|---|
| should have / shouldn’t have + pp | criticism or regret | He shouldn’t have lied. |
| must have + pp | sure it happened | He must have been joking. |
| can’t have / couldn’t have + pp | sure it didn’t happen | There can’t have been a wolf. |
| might have / may have / could have + pp | perhaps it happened | He might have been telling the truth. |
| would have + pp | an imaginary past result | They would have come. |
| needn’t have + pp | it happened, but it wasn’t necessary | They needn’t have run up the hill. |
Practice
Answer all the questions, then press “Check my answers”. You can try again as many times as you like.
A · Choose the best form
Choose the form that fits best.
1. He lied to the whole village. He ___ done that.
2. Everybody laughed. It ___ been a joke. (sure)
3. The sheep are safe. There ___ been a wolf. (sure it didn’t happen)
4. If they had believed him, they ___ saved the sheep.
5. We ran up the hill, but there was no wolf. We ___ run.
6. I’m not sure what happened. The boy ___ fallen asleep.
B · Complete the sentence
Write the missing words.
7. The boy told the truth. (criticism)
8. The villagers thought he been joking. (sure)
9. If he hadn’t lied before, they come. (imaginary result)
10. It been a real wolf, but nobody checked. (perhaps)
C · Right or wrong?
Is the sentence correct English?
11. “He should have told the truth.”
12. “There mustn’t have been a wolf.”
13. “They would have came if they had believed him.”
Now watch the sheep yourself. What will you shout, and when?Play the gamebook →