Criticism and Annoyance with Modal Perfects

• We use modal perfect structures to express retrospective criticism, regret, or annoyance about past actions or omissions during design handovers.
• Structure
• Function
• Example
• You might have told me
• Expressing frustration about an omission
• You might have told me about the missing source files before leaving Seattle.
• Could at least have
• Criticising someone for failing to do a bare minimum
• They could at least have provided a proper handover pack for our team.
• Should have known better
• Criticising someone's lack of professional judgment
• As a studio founder in Boston, he should have known better than to inherit chaos.
• Remember
• Use 'might have + past participle' to complain that someone failed to inform you of something important.
• Use 'could at least have + past participle' when pointing out that someone failed to perform a basic, expected courtesy.
• Use 'should have known better + than to' to criticise poor judgment.
• Examples
• You might have warned us regarding the undocumented decisions in Chicago.
• They could at least have checked the dual design systems in Seattle.
• She should have known better than to trust the outgoing agency from Austin.
• Common mistakes
• You might tell me about the missing source files.
• You might have told me about the missing source files.

Complete the sentences

• You (might) ____ me about the missing source files in Seattle.
• They (could) ____ a proper handover pack for our Boston studio.
• He (should) ____ than to accept the chaotic files.
• You (needn't) ____ about the knowledge transfer from Austin.
• She (might) ____ the undocumented decisions in Chicago.
• We (could) ____ the dual design systems in Seattle.

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