6.5 Past Direction Not Taken—Could Have

COMPREHENSION Based on the reading, write T for true or F for false.

1. Cuba was helping the Soviet Union in 1962. 2. President Kennedy sent ships to attack the Soviet ships. 3. In 2002, leaders met to discuss the decisions they had made in 1962.

THINK ABOUT IT Discuss the questions with a partner or in a small group.

1. Do people today see the world and other countries differently than they did when John F. Kennedy was president? Explain. 2. Are you worried about nuclear weapons in the modern day? Explain.

EXAMPLES This crisis could have changed the world. The planet could have been destroyed.

The U.S. could have attacked the Soviet ships. The U.S. could have invaded Cuba. But the president didn’t do these things. A: Before we got to class, I didn’t know much about Lincoln. B: You could have read the article before class. Or you could have googled his name.

EXPLANATION We use could have + the past participle to show that it was possible for something to happen, but it didn't. We use could have + the past participle to show that a past opportunity was not taken.

We use could have + the past participle to show suggestions that were not followed.

Note: Remember, could have + the past participle can mean may have/might have (maybe). (See Chart 6.3)

GRAMMAR IN USE We often use I was so… I could have + the past participle to exaggerate a result.

I was so hungry, I could’ve eaten a horse!

EXERCISE 6 Fill in the blanks with have + the past participle of one of the verbs from the box.

be killed bomb continue end make send start speak

1. World War III could have started in 1962.

2. In 1962, the world as we know it could

3. Everyone could

4. The world leaders could

5. The Soviets could a wrong decision, but they made a sensible decision.

to send ships to Cuba, but they stopped.

6. The Soviets could

7. The U.S. could

8. Perhaps the leaders could missiles to all the major cities of the U.S. from Cuba.

the missile sites in Cuba, but Kennedy decided against that.

earlier and avoided the crisis completely.

EXERCISE 7 Fill in the blanks with could have + the past participle of one of the verbs from the box.

marry kill be give dress break

1. Lincoln could have dressed well, but he usually dressed poorly.

2. Lincoln a farmer like his father, but he wanted to become a lawyer.

3. Mary Todd, Lincoln’s wife, was from a wealthy family. Her parents thought she

a better man than Lincoln.

4. The South

5. Lincoln

6. A train away from the North, but Lincoln kept the nation together.

a long speech, but he decided to give a very short speech.

Lincoln’s son, but Edwin Booth saved him.

ABOUT YOU Write about a direction you could have taken in your life but didn’t. Discuss your response with a partner.

I could have gotten married when I was 18, but I decided to finish college first.

EXERCISE 8 Write about something that almost happened in your country or another country you know about. Use could have. Discuss your response with a partner.

In Chile, 33 miners were trapped in a mine in 2010. They were there for over two months. They could have died, but luckily they were saved.