Should / shouldn't have

¿Cuándo utilizarlo?

Usamos el modal perfecto SHOULD / SHOULDN’T HAVE para criticar o expresar arrepentimientos por cosas que la gente hizo o dejó de hacer en el pasado.

Se utiliza SHOULD para indicar que se debieron hacer y no se hicieron.

Se utiliza SHOULDN’T para expresar algo que no se debía hacer pero se hizo.

¿Cómo utilizarlo?

Para formular una oración expresando alguna de las ideas mencionadas con anterioridad se debe seguir la siguiente regla:

SHOULD HAVE      +          verbo en Pasado Participio

SHOULDN’T HAVE                       +          verbo en Pasado Participio

Ejemplos

She should have informed the police about the crime immediately. Ella debería haber informado a la policía sobre el crimen de inmediato.

The check was a lot of money. Mark and Alain should have left without paying their share. El cheque fue mucho dinero. Mark y Alain deberían haberse ido sin pagar su parte.

I should have told the security guard that I saw someone looking in the windows. Debería haberle dicho al guardia de seguridad que vi a alguien mirando por la ventana.

Ejercicio:

Completa la siguiente conversación utilizando SHOULD / SHOULDN’T HAVE y los verbos de la siguiente línea en la forma correcta.

check          report          write down          park          leave

Oliver: Guess what happend last week! I was walking back to my car at minght and I saw two men spraying graffiti on a building and smashing the window.

Mark: That area is really dangerous at night. You can leave your car there during the day but you _____________ it there at night. Have you told the police what you saw?

Oliver: Not yet. I've been so busy this week.

Mark: Well, you _____________ it immediately. The police need to know. Did you see what the men were wearing?

Oliver: Yes, but now I can't remember. I think one of them was wearing a blue coat, or was it red?

Mark: You _____________ down a description. What time was it?

Oliver: Late, I think. It was dark. But I don't remember the exact time.

Mark: You _____________ your watch. Maybe other people were around at the same time and they saw the men.

Oliver: I'm not sure how the men got in the gate of the building. The security guard _____________ his post.

Ejercicio resuelto:

Oliver: Guess what happend last week! I was walking back to my car at minght and I saw two men spraying graffiti on a building and smashing the window.

Mark: That area is really dangerous at night. You can leave your car there during the day but you shouldn't have parking it there at night. Have you told the police what you saw?

Oliver: Not yet. I've been so busy this week.

Mark: Well, you should have reported it immediately. The police need to know. Did you see what the men were wearing?

Oliver: Yes, but now I can't remember. I think one of them was wearing a blue coat, or was it red?

Mark: You should have written down a description. What time was it?

Oliver: Late, I think. It was dark. But I don't remember the exact time.

Mark: You should have checked your watch. Maybe other people were around at the same time and they saw the men.

Oliver: I'm not sure how the men got in the gate of the building. The security guard shouldn't have left his post.

Traducción:

Oliver: ¡Adivina qué pasó la semana pasada! Estaba caminando hacia mi automóvil en el momento y vi a dos hombres rociando graffiti en un edificio y rompiendo la ventana.

Mark: Esa área es realmente peligrosa por la noche. Puede dejar su automóvil allí durante el día pero no debe tenerlo allí por la noche. ¿Le has contado a la policía lo que viste?

Oliver: Todavía no. He estado muy ocupado esta semana.

Mark: Bueno, deberías haber informado de inmediato. La policía necesita saber. ¿Viste lo que llevaban los hombres?

Oliver: Sí, pero ahora no puedo recordar. Creo que uno de ellos llevaba un abrigo azul, ¿o era rojo?

Mark: Deberías haber escrito una descripción. ¿Qué hora era?

Oliver: Tarde, creo. Estaba oscuro. Pero no recuerdo la hora exacta.

Mark: Deberías haber revisado tu reloj. Tal vez otras personas estaban alrededor al mismo tiempo y vieron a los hombres.

Oliver: No estoy seguro de cómo los hombres llegaron a la puerta del edificio. El guardia de seguridad no debería haber dejado su puesto.