It would have been better... refers to a point in time in the past when a condition was not true. I couldn't have been better (even if I practiced daily). Experts believe if Friday's test would have been fired on a flatter, standard trajectory, it could have threatened cities like Los Angeles, Denver and Chicago. site design / logo © 2021 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under cc by-sa. Adam Brock wrote this article for VOA Learning English. The reason I asked is that I was a bit confused with this. In the movie, Dan loses both of his legs in the Vietnam War. English Language Learners Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for speakers of other languages learning English. - If John had won the contest, he would have been happier. Filter. Past modals tell what could have, would have, and should have happened. is often answered with "Couldn't be better!". You'd best listen to what he has to say. I couldn't have been better than I was [at that moment]. I could have gone directly to college, but I decided to travel for a year. I would have made a salad if I had known they were vegetarians. Using Could have been in the second sentence makes it ask about a possibility, not an actuality. Finally, let’s look at should have. If someone had said that about you, then it simply means that this person has never met anyone more "nationalistic" than you. He should have told the truth about what he saw. Information and translations of could have been in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. I should have woken up earlier. It is the exact form of the verb. No person could have been more nationalistic. How would Muslims adapt to follow their prayer rituals in the loss of Earth? You can always reverse conditional sentences. A worried mother might say: “I was so worried about you. J. Georg Bednorz Here are some examples (the main verb is bold): - If they had left earlier, they would have been here already. Have been better: Not doing well at the present moment. I've been better. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. It is a way to show strong agreement. What does never been better expression mean? (= I was able to phone, but I didn't.) But the original version feels awkward because they've used a contraction of would and have at the start of the sentence, and then used those same two words later on in the same sentence, so neither is a … It can also mean the person isn't feeling well emotionally because of getting bad news. Had better - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary Could have is a modal verb phrase. Definition of never been better in the Idioms Dictionary. Could have, would have, and should have are sometimes called “modals of lost opportunities.” They work like a grammatical time machine. “It's you, not Tom, who {is/are} to blame for what happened”. Use this structure to show that you wanted to do something in the past, but you could not. What does could have been mean? High quality example sentences with “it would have been better” in context from reliable sources - Ludwig is the linguistic search engine that helps you to write better in English. In this song by the band Chicago, the singer is surprisingly happy that his ex-girlfriend cheated on him. Is it possible statically linking Apache 2.0, BSD-2, or MIT libraries to AGPL v3.0 binaries? She could have won the competition, but in the end she gave up. have been better definition, meaning, English dictionary, synonym, see also 'have at',have a bash',have a canary',have a cow', Reverso dictionary, English definition, English vocabulary We all have a destiny. “You don’t understand. In this song, country singer Toby Keith imagines how exciting his life would be if he had chosen to be a cowboy. Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. It was the most helpless I have ever felt in my life - what does “the most helpless” mean? Posted by James Briggs on July 17, 2005. It would be good for me to go home. This sentence is in the Present Perfect tense. Children’s poem about a boy stuck between the tracks on the underground. That’s all for this week. He would have died, but Forrest saved him. the grocery store's out of chicken that's on sale). To form the negative with these modals, use not between could and have. Share a … @DamkerngT. Today we will take a look at the modal verbs could have, would have and should have. Never been better: Doing better now that I ever have. “I couldn't have been better” means you are at your best or in other words, you (feel) better than ever before. For example: If I had known they were vegetarians, I would have made a salad. Meaning of could have been. It can be a low-key way of letting it be known that things are not so good without launching into complaining. You are offline. See the sentences below, What (in the US) do you call the type of wrench that is made from a steel tube? Each of these modals has a slightly different meaning. "What Could Have Been Done Better?" Should have means that something did not happen, but we wish it had happened. Am I burning bridges if I am applying for an internship which I am likely to turn down even if I am accepted? Find more similar words at wordhippo.com! For example: She could not have been on that flight because I just saw her at work. Here are some examples with explanations: I have been a designer since 1994. No person could have been more nationalistic. Defense lawyers often use could not have to argue for a client’s innocence. Which wire goes to which terminal on this single pole switch? Nothing just happens. But not always. Does this mean..."someone else was very nationalistic and no other person could have been more so?". From VOA Learning English, this is Everyday Grammar. Join us next week for more Everyday Grammar. I would have loaned you the money, but I didn’t have any. It's a far cry from "I'm doing great!" Is it ok to lie to players rolling an insight? But now I’m nothing but a cripple!”. As you can see, these modals of lost opportunities offer a colorful way to talk about past choices. Learn Ludwig. You might remember Lieutenant Dan in the movie Forrest Gump. Whether it would have been better or worse that what actually happened is contextual, both in terms of your perception as an observer/reader and in terms of what the speaker is intending to imply. You have been … You mean "Never been better," or maybe "it couldn't have been better," rather than "I couldn't have been better," perhaps? Could have means that something was possible in the past, but it did not happen. I could have stayed up late, but I decided to go to bed early. Are good pickups in a bad guitar worth it? It’s all part of a plan. 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