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  • Modals of Deduction Final

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    Eduardo Tinajero
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    The document discusses modal verbs used to speculate or deduce events in the past. It provides examples of forms using must have, may have, and couldn't have to talk about a past event with varying levels of certainty. Must have implies near certainty, may have implies uncertainty, and couldn't have implies near impossibility. The document also compares could have and might have as having the same meaning to suggest something was possible in the past.

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    Modals of deduction final

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    The document discusses modal verbs used to speculate or deduce events in the past. It provides examples of forms using must have, may have, and couldn't have to talk about a past event with varying levels of certainty. Must have implies near certainty, may have implies uncertainty, and couldn't have implies near impossibility. The document also compares could have and might have as having the same meaning to suggest something was possible in the past.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    2 views2 pages

    Modals of Deduction Final

    Uploaded by

    Eduardo Tinajero
    The document discusses modal verbs used to speculate or deduce events in the past. It provides examples of forms using must have, may have, and couldn't have to talk about a past event with varying levels of certainty. Must have implies near certainty, may have implies uncertainty, and couldn't have implies near impossibility. The document also compares could have and might have as having the same meaning to suggest something was possible in the past.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 2

    Modal verbs of speculation and deduction in the past

    1. It must have been a flying saucer. (There is no other explanation.)

    Questions:
    • Can we see the flying saucer now?
    • Was it in the past?
    • How certain are we?
    Form:
    Must + have + past participle

    2. It may have been a visitor from another planet.

    Questions:
    • Was it in the past or the present?
    • How do we know?
    • How certain are we?
    Form:
    may + have + past participle

    compare:

    It could have been a visitor from another planet.


    It might have been a visitor from another planet.
    • Is the meaning the same or different`?

    3. It can’t/couldn’t have been a UFO.

    Questions:
    • Was this in the past?
    • How do we know?
    • How certain are we?
    Form:
    can’t/couldn’t + have + past participle
    Couldn’t is slightly more formal.
    Answer key

    Questions:
    • Can we see the flying saucer now? No, we cannot.
    • Was it in the past? Yes, it was.
    • How certain are we? We are almost 100% certain.

    Questions:
    • Was it in the past or the present? It was in the past.
    • How do we know? The form may + have + past participle is for the past.
    • How certain are we? We are uncertain. (50%)

    Questions:
    • Was this in the past? Yes, it was.
    • How do we know? Because of the form can’t + have + past participle.
    • How certain are we? We are almost 100% certain that it is impossible.

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