In the sentence given below, ‘could have’ expresses:
Nisha could have won the chess final, but she rushed her last few moves and lost.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → a past chance that was not used
The clue is “but she rushed her last few moves and lost”. We know the win did not happen.
| Option | Meaning and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) a polite request | asks someone to do something; this sentence asks nobody to do anything | Could you show me the way to the post office, please? |
| (2) a possible past action (not sure) | a past action the speaker is not sure about; here there is no doubt, as we are told that Nisha lost | I could have dropped my keys in the auto, but I am not sure. |
| (3) a past chance that was not used (answer) | could have + past participle (V3): someone had the chance, but it did not happen | We could have caught the early bus, but we woke up late. |
| (4) general ability in the past | takes could + base verb, not “could have + V3” | As a child, Nisha could solve chess puzzles very fast. |