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should have eaten it vs must have eaten it

Both "should have eaten it" and "must have eaten it" are correct, but their meanings are slightly different. "Should have eaten it" implies a recommendation or expectation. Meanwhile, "must have eaten it" suggests a strong likelihood or conclusion. The choice between them depends on the intended emphasis or certainty in the context.

Explained by Jennifer
Editor at TextRanch

Last updated: June 25, 2024 • 7080 views

should have eaten it

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to express a recommendation or expectation regarding eating something in the past.

Use "should have eaten it" when you want to convey that it would have been a good idea or the right thing to do to eat something in the past.

Examples:

You should have eaten it while it was still warm.
I should have eaten it before it went bad.

Show examples from the web [+]

Since its blood was not brought inside the sanctuary, you should have eaten it in the sanctuary area, as I commanded." International Standard Version Look!
In this translation, the beginning is pretty much the same, but instead of Mosheh saying, “you should have eaten it”, he said, “you will eat it.” Mosheh is going to ...
Jun 12, 2015 ... Its blood was not brought inside the holy place; indeed you should have eaten it in a holy place, as I commanded.” Moses himself said this!
Jul 3, 2015 ... I should have eaten it all — all the food. All. The. Food. Going from summer flings with another lifeguard, to shame bangs with Bill from accounts ...

Alternatives:

could have eaten it
might have eaten it
would have eaten it
ought to have eaten it
had better have eaten it

must have eaten it

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to express a strong likelihood or conclusion that someone ate something in the past.

Use "must have eaten it" when you want to convey a high degree of certainty or a strong inference that someone ate something in the past.

Examples:

He must have eaten it because the plate is empty.
She must have eaten it; there are crumbs everywhere.

Show examples from the web [+]

Jun 16, 2015 ... he must have eaten it or something then the body tried working it out and eventually it wound up in his arm, this happens alot. Like · Reply · Jun ...
Nov 12, 2010 ... The stimulus says "they must have eaten it IF they made the long journey to and from the islands." This is NOT saying they actually ate sea ...
... smeared it round Bruin's snout. Then he woke him up and said, "See, the honey is oozing out of your snout. You must have eaten it when you were asleep. " ...
... smeared it round Bruin's snout. Then he woke him up and said, "See, the honey is oozing out of your snout. You must have eaten it when you were asleep. " ...

Alternatives:

probably ate it
likely ate it
almost certainly ate it
surely ate it
undoubtedly ate it

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