Name: Uses of Would Have + Past Participle in English | Would Have, Would Have Been | B1–B2 Learners
Uploaded: 2026-02-16T04:30:55.000Z
Duration: 21 min 30 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

welcome back to Talk Emma, the easy English podcast, where we learn English the way people actually use it in real life.

I hope you're doing well today and wherever you're listening from, at home, on a walk, or maybe while cooking.

Thank you for choosing to spend this time with us.

And before we get comfortable and dive in, just one small thing.

If you enjoy learning English with calm conversations, real examples, and

zero classroom pressure, make sure you subscribe to the podcast.

And it also means you won't miss future episodes like this one.

And today's topic actually fits that mood because it's something many learners think they understand but still feel confused about.

Yes, today we're talking about something you've probably seen many times while watching movies, reading stories, or listening to native speakers.

When learners see sentences like I would have called you or she would have helped, they often pause.

They understand the words separately, but together it feels blurry and sometimes even a little scary.

Many learners tell us, I know would, I know have.

I know past verbs, but when they come together, my brain freezes.

This structure is not usually taught properly at beginner levels.

And when learners reach B1 or B2, it suddenly appears everywhere.

And no one really explains why we use it, only how.

So in this episode, we're not just memorizing rules.

We're understanding meaning, feeling, and real life use.

And one more important thing in this video we're covering would have would have been and how they work naturally in conversation.

That's why this lesson is best for B1 to B2 learners.

If you're A1 or A2, don't worry, you can still listen and absorb the feeling.

Think of it like listening to music before you learn the lyrics.

When you hear this sentence, I would have helped you, what do you feel?

Would have often carries a feeling, not just information.

It talks about a past action, but not a real past action.

It talks about a past possibility that did not happen.

Imagine yesterday your friend was moving to a new apartment.

Okay, you wanted to help, but you were sick.

Today you meet your friend and say, I would have helped you, but I was sick.

It's not about what happened, it's about what could have happened but didn't.

Many learners confuse this with simple past.

If you say I helped you, that's a real action.

Lives in an imaginary past, a past that exists only in your mind.

And in English, we use this structure to talk about regrets, missed chances, polite explanations and reflections.

That's why this structure is very human language.

Yes, Native speakers use it when they look back and think if things were different.

Okay, you would have passed the exam, but you got sick.

It means you didn't pass, but you had the ability.

Would have often shows ability plus condition.

If the condition was different, the result would be different.

Now let's talk about form, but without pressure.

Would have past participle, for example, would have gone, would have seen, would have done, would have helped.

And the past participle is the same one you use with have.

Like have eaten, have finished, have been.

And that brings us to another common form.

This one is very common in conversations.

For example, it would have been amazing, meaning it was not amazing because it didn't happen.

English speakers use this a lot to sound soft, kind and thoughtful, not aggressive, not blaming.

Subtitles ListPlay Video

Uses of Would Have + Past Participle in English | Would Have, Would Have Been | B1–B2 Learners

scenario

situation

panic

practice