it could have been vs it could had been

The correct phrase is "it could have been." The use of "have" is necessary to form the present perfect tense in English. "It could had been" is incorrect and should not be used.

Last updated: March 21, 2024 • 9169 views

it could have been

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

This phrase is used to talk about a possibility or situation that existed in the past. It is formed with the modal verb "could" followed by the auxiliary verb "have" and the past participle of the main verb.

Examples:

It could have been a great opportunity.
I think it could have been a mistake.
She could have been there yesterday.
They could have been more careful.
The project could have been completed on time.

Show examples from the web [+]

First of all, it could have been much worse.
I heard that it could have been poison.
Or it could have been Dr. Phil.
Or it could have been something more.
You shouldn't have gone alone, it could have been dangerous.
Instead of the plume, it could have been your head.
I just kept thinking that it could have been Jackie.
Or lucky... it could have been the guy next to him.
Theoretically, yes, it could have been a fae kill.
Technically, it could have been one of his minions.
So it could have been one of your employees.
But considering the wreckage, it could have been destroyed.
But it could have been around that time.
It's so big, it could have been an orphanage.
Or it could have been someone who was already in the house.
I'm not sure it could have been more embarrassing.
Like it could have been made yesterday.
Mariko, it could have been a business call.
So it could have been stolen from anywhere.
Or it could have been from a ligature.

it could had been

This phrase is incorrect in English and should not be used.

Show examples from the web [+]

Oct 31, 2012 ... Ok, they lost a war and all the house of cards they lived in caved out, but it could had been far worse, especially if the military and the federal ...
Dec 22, 2015 ... ... rewards of each missions. Holograms, Fashion gear... cats and dogs. It could had been laid out better is all I'm saying, but what can you do?
Jan 30, 2016 ... If Avery's blood in the RAV4 wasn't from the vial, are there other conceivable ways it could had been obtained? (self.MakingaMurderer).
Feb 10, 2016 ... Mr. Stewart admitted that his discovery will require more research, as it could had been caused by an earthquake since Loch Ness is located in ...

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it could have been vs it could had been