Should have, needn't have and didn't need to
Looking back at what was right or necessary: you should have told me, I needn't have hurried, we didn't need to pay.
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To criticise the past or say what was or wasn't necessary, use a modal verb + have + past participle. Should have says that something was the right thing to do but didn't happen. Needn't have says that something happened but wasn't necessary. Didn't need to + verb says that something wasn't necessary; usually it didn't happen.
Form | Meaning |
|---|---|
should have done | it was right, but it didn't happen |
shouldn't have done | it happened, but it was wrong |
needn't have done | it happened, but it wasn't necessary |
didn't need to do | it wasn't necessary (usually not done) |
Should have: it was a good idea, but it didn't happen
Should have + past participle criticises something in the past or expresses regret. The thing didn't happen.
- You should have told me you were ill. I could have helped.
- I should have left earlier. Now I'm stuck in traffic.
- We should have booked a table. The restaurant is full.
- Incorrect: You should come to the party yesterday. It was great.
- Correct: You should have come to the party yesterday. It was great.Should + verb is about now or the future. For the past, use should have + past participle.
Ought to have means the same but is less common: You ought to have asked first.
Shouldn't have: it happened, but it was wrong
Shouldn't have + past participle says that something happened and it was a mistake.
- I shouldn't have eaten so much. I feel sick.
- You shouldn't have said that to her. She was really upset.
- Incorrect: I didn't should say that.
- Correct: I shouldn't have said that.Should has no did. The negative is shouldn't have + past participle.
When someone gives you a present, "You shouldn't have!" is a polite way to say thank you. It means "You didn't need to do that, but it's very kind."
Should have for something expected
Should have can also mean that something was expected to happen by now: The parcel should have arrived yesterday. I'll call the shop. It often has the same meaning as was supposed to.
Needn't have: you did it, but it wasn't necessary
Needn't have + past participle says that something was done, and later it turned out to be unnecessary. It is British and a little formal.
- I needn't have taken an umbrella. It didn't rain.
(I took one, but it wasn't necessary.)
- We needn't have hurried. The film started twenty minutes late.
- You needn't have bought so much food. There's plenty in the fridge.
Didn't need to: it wasn't necessary
Didn't need to + verb says that something wasn't necessary. Usually this means it wasn't done, but the context can show that it was.
- We didn't need to wait. The doctor saw us straight away.
(We didn't wait.)
- I didn't need to take a taxi, so I walked.
- I didn't need to take a taxi, but I was tired, so I did.
(It wasn't necessary, but I took one.)
- Incorrect: It was a holiday, so I needn't have got up early, and I stayed in bed until ten.
- Correct: It was a holiday, so I didn't need to get up early, and I stayed in bed until ten.Needn't have means you did it. You stayed in bed, so use didn't need to.
- Incorrect: We didn't needed to pay for the tickets.
- Correct: We didn't need to pay for the tickets.After didn't, the verb is need, without -ed.
Didn't have to means the same as didn't need to: We didn't have to pay. It was free.
Needn't have or didn't need to?
When you did something unnecessary, both are possible, but needn't have says it most clearly.
- I needn't have cooked. They had already eaten.
(I cooked, for nothing.)
- I didn't need to cook. They had already eaten.
(Most likely I didn't cook.)
Could have: a chance that wasn't used
Could have + past participle says that something was possible but didn't happen. It can also be a complaint.
- We could have won the match, but we didn't play well.
- You could have called me! I was waiting for hours.
Compare: should have is about what was right, could have is about what was possible.