Level: intermediate
We can use a modal verb with have and a past participle:
| Subject | Modal | have | Past participle | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| They | will | have | arrived | by now. |
| You | might | have | seen | the film. |
| Jack and Jill | would | have | been | late. |
We use a modal verb with have:
- to refer back from the present:
It's nearly eight o'clock. They will have arrived by now.
- to refer back from a point of time in the past:
We were very worried. We thought someone might have taken the car.
- to refer back from a point of time in the future:
We won't eat until they arrive. They might not have had supper.
- to refer to past time:
You should have helped her when she asked.
They might have got lost. Nobody knows where they are.
- Modal verbs with have 1
- Modal verbs with have 2
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Hi Goktug123,
Your first interpretation of the first sentence is correct -- the speaker supposes that the car was John's. The second sentence is similar to the first -- the speaker makes a supposition about a past event.
As you suggest, 'would have' + v3 is also commonly used in third conditional structures, which can be used, for example, to speak about regrets. For example, 'If I hadn't taken that job, I would have finished my studies.'
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team