MODALS OF DEDUCTION AND SPECULATION

WE USE MODALS OF DEDUCTION AND SPECULATION WHEN WE WANT TO MAKE A

GUESS ABOUT SOMETHING. WE CHOOSE THE VERB DEPENDING ON HOW SURE WE ARE.

Deducing and speculating about the present

Combine modals of deduction and speculation must, might, could, may and then an
infinitive verb to deduce and speculate about an action that happens in the present.
modal (present) + infinitive
Know the proper modal to use depending on how true you think that an action occurs.

SCENARIO:
You are waiting for Amanda with another friend, Danny.
You ask Danny this question: Where is Amanda?
Danny speculates:

• She must be on her way here. (fairly sure this is a good guess)
• She might arrive soon. (maybe)
• She could be lost. (maybe)
• She may be in the wrong place. (maybe)
• She can’t be at home. (fairly sure this isn’t true)
Note: In this case, the opposite of ‘must’ is ‘can’t’.

Will / won’t
We use will and won’t when we are very sure.
• He will be at school now.

Should / shouldn’t
We use should and shouldn’t to make an assumption about what is probably true, if
everything is as we expect.
• They should get there by now.
• It shouldn’t take long to drive here.
This use of should isn’t usually used for negative events. Instead, it’s a better idea to use
will.
Correct: The temperature will be too high today.
Incorrect: The temperature should be too high today.

Can
We use can for something that is generally possible, something we know sometimes
happens.
• The cost of living can be very high in big cities.

*We do not use can to talk about specific possibilities.

Correct: Mom could be at the supermarket.
Incorrect: Mom can be at the supermarket.

Deducing and speculating about the past

Put together modals of deduction and speculation must, might, could, may, can’t and
have and then a past participle verb to deduce and speculate about an action that
occurred in the past.
modal (past) + have + past participle

• It must have rained last night.

• She might / might not have registered for the seminar.
• They could have finished the training if not for the technical issues.
• You may / may not have done the dishes this morning.

SCENARIO
Roy asked: Where was Sandra last night?
Maria speculated:

• Sandra must have forgotten about our appointment.

• She might have worked late.
• Sandra could have lost track of time.
• She may have gotten sick.
• She can’t have stayed at home.
 Will
We use will for something in the past that we are very certain happened.
• The parcel will have arrived before now.

Should / Shouldn’t
We use should and shouldn’t have to make an assumption about something that has
probably happened, if everything is as we expect.
• The plane should have left by now.
• We shouldn’t have gone in that direction.

Could
We can use could + infinitive to talk about a general possibility in the past.
• Labour could be low in the sixteenth century.
*This is not used to talk about specific possibilities in the past. Instead, we use could +
have + past participle.
• He could have been working late.
(not: ‘could be’. As this is a specific possibility, ‘could be’ is present tense)

EXERCISE

1. Their shop is easy to locate. It’s right around the corner. She _____ miss it!

a. might
b. can’t
c. must

2. Chris’s things are still here so he _____ gone home.

a. shouldn’t have
b. might have
c. can’t have
3. What a great show! They _____ go on a world tour.

a. can’t
b. might
c. must

4. She can’t remember the suspect’s face. But she _____ seen a distinguishing
feature.

a. couldn’t have
b. must have
c. may have

5. It _____ be sugar-free. It has ice cream in it.

a. can’t
b. may not
c. must

6. Clara and Laura weren’t replying to my chat messages. Maybe they went to the
movies or they _____ gone to a spa.

a. might have
b. couldn’t have
c. must have

7. Anthony is very stressed out lately. I am not sure but he _____ gone on vacation.

a. can’t have
b. might have
c. must have
8. Your sisters tell different versions of what happened. One of them _____ be
lying.

a. must
b. may
c. could

9. I _____ known about this faulty wiring. I would have noticed it.

a. couldn’t have
b. must have
c. might have

10. Look at this piece of art. Maybe it’s Monet or it _____ be Van Gogh.

a. would
b. could
c. couldn’t
ANSWERS

1. B Their shop is easy to locate. It’s right around the corner. She can’t miss it!
2. C Chris’s things are still here so he can’t have gone home.
3. C What a great show! They must go on a world tour.
4. C She can’t remember the suspect’s face. But she may have seen a distinguishing
feature.
5. A It can’t be sugar-free. It has ice cream in it.
6. A Clara and Laura weren’t replying to my chat messages. Maybe they went to the
movies or they might have gone to a spa.
7. B Anthony is very stressed out lately. I am not sure but he might have gone on
vacation.
8. A Your sisters tell different versions of what happened. One of them must be lying.
9. A I couldn’t have known about this faulty wiring. I would have noticed it.
10. B Look at this piece of art. Maybe it’s Monet or it could be Van Gogh.