1.

Possibility and certainty in the present and future

*Must
We must play football with him. He seems to be fit
We can’t beat him.It may not be possible
*May, might, could
-We will invite him for today’s match
 He may play well (I’m not sure)
 He might play well
 He could play well
Note: May, might, or could to mean it’s possible
*May not or might not
 He may not know about football (He doesn’t know the rules)
 He might not know about football (He plays differently)
-May not and might not to mean it is possible- not sure (don’t use could not)
Another examples: Do you play football? Yes, American footballs
 You can’t play footballs

 Well, we could teach footballs

 Yeah, you may play football after we teach you
 Maybe, you might play well, because you are fit
Note: May, might, or could to talk about something that will possibly happen in the
future
Differences:Will, won’t, may and might not
Friends are going to teach me. I will play football well soon (He/she sure)
I am learning slowly. I may play football well (He/she not sure)
I might not play tomorrow’s match (He/she sures as he/she want to play)
 I won’t play tomorrow’s match (He/she not sure. It’s possible he/she might play,
but not sure
2. Possibility and certainty in the past
+It’s almost certain
-She must have+past participle gone to school already
-She must not have taken her lunch
+It’s not possible
When we are even more certain, we use couldn’t+past partciple
-She couldn’t have been at home
+It’s possible
When something is possible, but we don’t know for sure
-She may/might have forgotten her homework
-She may/might not have remembered her gym clothes.
-Her phone battery could have died
*Difference