Modals of Deduction

Abdul Lateef Tahir

Deduce (verb)
to reach an answer or a decision by
thinking carefully about the known facts:

There wasn’t enough evidence for the

detectives to deduce the identity of the killer.
Deduction (noun)
the process of reaching a decision or
answer by thinking about the known
facts, or the decision that is reached:

Through a process of deduction, the

detectives discovered the identity of the
killer.
We often use might, can’t or
must to say how sure or certain
we are about something.
(based on the information we have)
In this context,
the opposite of
must is can’t. (= I’m sure the neighbors are out.)

(= I’m sure the neighbors are not out.)

WHEN YOU ARE SURE
SOMETHING IS TRUE..

Your friend must be rich if he

drives around a Porsche.
MUST
 WHEN YOU ARE SURE
SOMETHING IS IMPOSSIBLE
OR NOT TRUE..

That can’t be my mother. She wasn’t

CAN’T
wearing a gray scarf in the morning!
 WHEN YOU THINK
SOMETHING IS
POSSIBLY TRUE..

My laptop might not have a virus,

MIGHT
it might have a bigger problem.
WE CAN USE MAY INSTEAD OF MIGHT AND
WE CAN USE COULD IN POSITIVE SENTENCES.
We often use be + gerund with them.
The students must be enjoying their holidays.
(= I’m sure that the students are enjoying their holidays because they didn’t
even ask me if we had any homework.)

My neighbours might be moving this week.

(= It is possible that my neighbours will move this week because I’ve been
hearing them pack all night.)

He can’t be travelling next week! We have exams!

(= It is impossible for him to travel next week because we have exams.)
 READY FOR
SOME PRACTICE?
MATCH THE SENTENCES
HAPPY LEARNING!