Modal auxiliary verbs ("modals") are very irregular and have extremely complex grammar. Every modal has two kinds of meaning: its Epistemic sense and its Deontic sense.
Epistemic meanings are abstract and refer to logical predictions and conclusions: This might/must/could/should/may/will/would be the place. Deontic meanings are social and have to do with obligations, permissions, and prohibitions: She may/can/should/must go to the ball. Negation works differently with modals in their epistemic and deontic senses.
This may not be the place ≠ This can't be the place. (epistemic) You may not leave yet. = You can't leave yet. (deontic)
>WHAT THE FUCK IS EVEN HAPPENING
Parker Gomez
You're already using a past tense. >couldn't I don't think you're supposed to use two past tenses simultaneously.
Lucas Baker
Fuck me
How stupid of me I can't believe I still don't grasp some of these concepts and I've been writing for years.
Thanks Veeky Forums
Thomas Reed
>It could not had been a complete lie.
but does "It couldn't have had been a complete lie." work as a sentence?
James Lee
Yes, but kind of awkward. I mean, I've never quite seen that composition, but it makes sense and it'll be understood. But I'd avoid it.
Noah Wood
What? No. The "had" ends up doing two things, both incorrectly.
First, you can't have two "haves" that are both helping verbs in the same clause; one must necessarily become the main/full verb. Here, the "have" applies to the "had" -- "it couldn't have had". An example would be "the fishbowl couldn't have had more than two fish inside."
But then, trying to apply "couldn't have had" to "been" makes no sense. Since the "had" is forced to be the main/full verb, it shouldn't be helping out another verb.
Jacob Russell
Wrong.
Landon Cooper
James while John had had had had had had had had had had had a better effect on the teacher
Jayden Ramirez
have (past stuff)= something happened, has effect on present still
had (past stuff) = happened, but was isolated event in the past which does not affect the future.
Tyler Ortiz
Ah yes, the "couldn't had". Reminds me of the "and but so"
