could has broken

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "could has broken" is not correct in English and cannot be used in written form.
The correct form would be "could have broken," which is used to express a possibility in the past. Example: "He could have broken the vase if he had been careless."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Opportunity, the little rover that could, has broken a 41-year-old driving distance record that's out of this world.

Los Angeles Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

A zipper could have broken.

The New York Times

"You could have broken my leg".

The New York Times - Magazine

That could have broken me.

The Guardian

He [Spearing] could have broken his ankle".

Independent

Who among us could have broken through?

The Guardian - Books

Someone could have broken into the house.

The New Yorker

I could have broken his fingers so many times.

The New York Times - Magazine

He was crying so, it could have broken your heart.

The New Yorker

"She could have broken down at any time.

The New York Times - Sports

"You could have broken it to me gently.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the correct auxiliary verb form after modal verbs like "could", "should", "would", "may", and "might". The correct form is "have" followed by the past participle of the main verb. For instance, use "could have broken" instead of "could has broken".

Common error

A common mistake is to use "has" instead of "have" after modal verbs. Remember that modal verbs (could, should, would, may, might) are always followed by the base form of the auxiliary verb, which is "have", not "has".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "could has broken" attempts to express a past possibility. However, it is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "could have broken". According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is incorrect and should be avoided in formal writing.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "could has broken" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "could have broken", which expresses a past possibility. As Ludwig AI specifies, the error lies in using "has" instead of "have" after the modal verb "could". While there is one example from News & Media, the incorrect grammar makes it unsuitable for formal writing. Alternatives like "might have broken" or "may have broken" are recommended. Remember to always use "have" after modal verbs to maintain grammatical accuracy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

could have broken

Corrects the grammatical error by using the auxiliary verb "have" after "could".

might have broken

Substitutes "could" with "might", maintaining a similar sense of possibility in the past and keeping the auxiliary verb "have" after "might".

may have broken

Replaces "could" with "may", again expressing a past possibility with the correct auxiliary verb "have".

would have broken

Uses "would have" to indicate a conditional result in the past, correcting the grammatical structure.

should have broken

Indicates an expectation or obligation in the past that was not fulfilled, with proper grammar.

was able to break

Expresses past ability or capacity to break something.

managed to break

Indicates successful completion of breaking something with an effort.

succeeded in breaking

Another way to express successful completion, similar to "managed to break".

had the chance to break

Focuses on the opportunity that existed in the past to break something.

was going to break

Implies intention or plan in the past that may or may not have been realized.

FAQs

How do I properly use "could have" in a sentence?

Use "could have" followed by the past participle of the verb to express a possibility in the past. For example, "He "could have broken" the vase if he wasn't careful".

What's the difference between "could have broken" and "could break"?

"Could break" refers to a present or future possibility, while ""could have broken"" refers to a past possibility that did or did not occur.

What are some alternatives to "could have broken"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "might have broken", "may have broken", or "would have broken".

Is "could has broken" grammatically correct?

No, "could has broken" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is ""could have broken"". The modal verb "could" should be followed by "have", not "has".