MODAL VERBS OF SPECULATION

Present form: modal verb + bare infinitive)

Speculation - the act of forming opinions about what has happened or what
might happen without knowing all the facts (that means trying to guess about
certain information).
WHERE IS JOHN TODAY?? He must be at work.
MUST – certain information (we use must to speculate very strongly)
HAS GOT TO - certain information
HAVE GOT TO
SHE HAS GOT TO BE SLEEPING
****** SHE’S GOT TO BE= SHE’S GOTTA BE SLEEPING****** spoken English

Less certain (50 %)

They might be watching TV.
I think you may be 22.
Mike could be the best player on the team.
(We are trying to guess who is the best player in the team)
MAKE DEDUCTIONS: there is a situation when you see or observe something. This
is your evidence.
EVIDENCE: the facts, signs or objects that make you believe that something is
true.
John looks tired (this is what you see, your evidence. Your deduction is how you
interpret what you see).
He must be unwell – certainly
He might not be sleeping well – possibility
He may be stressed – possibility
(In British English “MAY” is more formal than “MIGHT”)
He can’t be feeling well – certainly
PAST FORM: MODAL VERB + HAVE + PAST P.
Mr. Smith didn’t attend today’s meeting.
He must have forgotten about it – certainly /quite sure
He might have missed his train – possibility
He may have called in sick – possibility
He can’t have known about it – certainly
CALL IN SICK – you are not feeling well so you call up your job and say: “Oh, I am
not coming today”.
CALL UP - to make a phone call to somebody

FURIOUS
*Pissed of
*mad

TO NOTICE
NO TEETH AND IT’S SO OBVIOSLY

HILARIOUS
Everyone knows that
Hillary Clinton is HILARIOUS

WISE
The “wise person” is who asked
A lot of : “ why?-s” 