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Modal Verbs of Deduction - Summary Chart

This document discusses modal verbs of deduction in English, including may, might, must, can't, and can. It explains that may and might are used to talk about possibilities, must is used when something is sure or quite sure, and can't is used when something is surely not true. It also notes that may, might, must and can't can be used with be + -ing to talk about ongoing actions.

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30 views2 pages

Modal Verbs of Deduction - Summary Chart

This document discusses modal verbs of deduction in English, including may, might, must, can't, and can. It explains that may and might are used to talk about possibilities, must is used when something is sure or quite sure, and can't is used when something is surely not true. It also notes that may, might, must and can't can be used with be + -ing to talk about ongoing actions.

Uploaded by

takinardi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Modal verbs
Grammar » B1 Grammarof deduction
lessons – summary
and exercises » Modal chart
verbs of deduction – must, may, might, could, can’t
 

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may, might
 
We use may and might to talk about things that are possibly true, but we don’t know for sure.

• He’s more than 2 meters tall. He might be a basketball player. (=perhaps he is)
• He says Betty is his friend, but I think she may be his girlfriend.

We use may not or might not to talk about things that are possibly not true, but we don’t know for sure.

• You should call her. She might not know where you are. (=perhaps she doesn’t know)

can
 
We don’t use can as a modal of deduction.

• He might/may be at home now. (NOT He can be at home now)

must, can’t
 
We use must when we are sure, or quite sure, that something is true.

• You must be tired after the long journey. (=I’m sure you are tired)
• I’m sure I had the keys when I left. They must be in the car.

But we use can’t (NOT mustn’t) when we are sure, or quite sure, that something is not true.

• We’ve been walking for hours. It can’t be far from here. (NOT It mustn’t be far)
• They’ve lived here only for a couple of months. They can’t know many people.

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+ be -ing
 
After may, might, must or can’t we can use be + -ing, when we are talking about actions in progress.

• They’ve gone to Ibiza, and right now they must be having a great time.
• Call him. He might be waiting for us.

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