A.

Past modal verbs (could have, should have, would have)

1. Could have + past participle
This is used for events which were posible in the past, but didn’t happen.

He could’ve drowned (=it was posible for him to drown, but he didn’t)

Compare the following sentences.

Ruby could walk before she was a year old. (=she was able to do this)

Ruby could have walked to work, but she took a taxi instead. (=it was posible for her to walk, but she didn’t)

2. Should have / shouldn’t have + past participle

This means it was a Good idea to do something in the past, but you dind’t do it. We often this to criticise
other people, or to talk about past regrets.

You shoul’d have been so rude. (=criticism: you were rude, and it wasn’t a good idea)
I should’ve looked in the mirror before I went out. (=past regret: it was a Good idea to look, but I didn’t)

3. Would / wouldn’t have + past participle

We use this for imagining something in the past that didn’t happer.

In this position, I would have waited for help. (=I wasn’t in his position – I am imagining the situation)

B. Talking hypothetically about the past with if

If you are imagining possibilities in the past, we often use if to describe the hypothetical situation.

If he’d stayed at home that day, he wouldn’t have met his wife.

Notice that after if we use the Past Perfect. This form is often called the ‘Third conditional’.
REMEMBER!
We can also use might have or could have if we are les sure about what would have happened.
If he’d (=he had) worked harder, he might have got into university.
We could’ve won the competition if our best player hadn’t got injured.

C. Talking hypothetically about the past and present together

Notice the difference between these two forms:
a. Imaginary situations generally / in the present
If + past simple + would + verb
If I wasn’t an actor, I’d be a musician
b. Imaginary situations in the past
If + past simple + would have + past participle
If I’d gone to the party, I would have seen her.

Sometimes we want to talk about the past and present together. In this case, we can ‘mix’ the two forms.

If she had stayed in the job, she sould be richer now.

If I dind’t trust you, I would’t have lent you the money.

Gill and George.

Gill was an old widow woman, who used to take care of her cat, George. One day George is run over by a car.
And for saving him, it was necessary an operation, but Gill dind’t have enough money, so her daugther decided to
help her, paying with her credit card, and Gill would have to pay her back month by month, unfortunately, George
died in the operation. George could have saved himself if he wouldn’t’ve been in the street, but at his home, or if his
owner would’ve been more careful, anyway, now she has to pay her daughter back month by month, I think at least,
they tried to save him, because otherwise, they could have been sorry right now.