would've
Conditional past auxiliary
Would've is a contraction of "would have," used in conditional statements and counterfactuals: I would've called if I'd known.
It's standard in speech and informal writing.
The similar sound of would've and "would of" leads to a common spelling error—"would of" is always wrong.
Past possibility contraction
- should'vePast obligation unfulfilled
- might'veContraction of possibility past
- what-ifHypothetical scenario query
- supposeAccept as true tentatively
scenario · alternate · otherwise · instead · perhaps · maybe · possibly · potentially
Past possibility contraction
- should'vePast obligation unfulfilled
- might'veContraction of possibility past
- must'veContraction indicating past necessity
- couldn'tPast inability marker
shouldn't · hadn't · haven't · wasn't · weren't · didn't · doesn't · isn't
Past obligation unfulfilled
- could'vePast possibility contraction
- hindsightRecognition after the fact
- remorseGuilt for wrongdoing
- wistfulnessTender sadness for absence
rue · lament · missed · squandered · overlooked · neglected · forfeited · bungled
Possessed previously
previously · originally · earlier · before · prior · remembered · recalled · expected
could've
Past possibility contraction
- should'vePast obligation unfulfilled
- might'veContraction of possibility past
- what-ifHypothetical scenario query
suppose · scenario · alternate · otherwise · instead · perhaps · maybe · possibly · potentially · presumably
could've
Past possibility contraction
- should'vePast obligation unfulfilled
- might'veContraction of possibility past
- must'veContraction indicating past necessity
couldn't · shouldn't · hadn't · haven't · wasn't · weren't · didn't · doesn't · isn't · aren't
should've
Past obligation unfulfilled
wistfulness · rue · lament · missed · squandered · overlooked · neglected · forfeited · bungled · botched
had
Possessed previously
formerly · previously · originally · earlier · before · prior · remembered · recalled · expected · intended