Using “should have” to talk about regrets 

We use should have + past participle to talk about things we regret. 

We use “should have” + past participle to talk about something we regret.  

Ex. I got really wet walking home last night, I should have taken an umbrella. 

Here, the speaker didn’t take an umbrella and now regrets it because they got wet. 

What does ‘regret’ mean?

A regret is something we did (or didn’t do)in the past, but now wish we had.  

The verb regret means to feel sorry about something that happened (or didn’t happen) in the past. 

I regret not calling her. 
He regrets saying that. 

Examples with “should have”

• I should have called you sooner. (I didn’t call you, and now I feel bad about it.) 

• You should have spoken to me before deciding. (You made a choice without discussing it first and that caused a problem.) 

• Sarah talked all through the movie. I shouldn’t have invited her to the cinema. (Now I regret asking her to come.) 

• I’m really tired today. I shouldn’t have stayed up so late last night. (Staying up late was a bad decision.) 

• I shouldn’t have shouted at her. (I regret how I reacted.) 

Tip: “Should have” is often used when reflecting on decisions, mistakes, or missed opportunities. It’s a useful structure for expressing lessons learned or looking back with hindsight. 

What does ‘hindsight’ mean?