Let’s Review

being
Do you mind me ____________ here while you’re working?
(be)
to stay at home during this pandemic.
Most people prefer ____________
(stay)
to move
They decided _____________ abroad and make a fresh start.
(move)
him not to take
His doctor advised ___________________ any strenuous
exercise. ( him, not, take)
other countries to lift
The president urged _________________________ the trade
restrictions. (other countries, lift)
Learning Objectives
 Students are able to speculate about present.
 Students are able to speculate about past.
 Students are able to differentiate the difference between present and
past speculation.
There is a restaurant which is
always full of people coming to
eat there.
What will you guess
about that restaurant?
modal verbs to say how certain
you are about a possibility.

must might could

may can’t
There is a restaurant which full of people
coming to eat there recently.
What will you guess about that
restaurant?

It must be a new pizza restaurant.

It may have cosy ambience.

It might be in sale. It could sell new pizza variant.

It can’t be cheaper than other pizza restaurant.

 SPECULATION
guessing if something is true using the available
information.

PRESENT SPECULATION
must
is used when you feel sure that something is true or it's
the only realistic possibility.

might / may / could

is used to say that you think something is possible but
you're not sure. 

can’t
 is used when you feel sure that something is NOT POSSIBLE.
 must
is used when you feel sure that something is true or it's
the only realistic possibility.

It must be a new pizza restaurant.

You are sure because you know that there was no

pizza restaurant before.
can’t
 is used when you feel sure that something is NOT POSSIBLE.

It can’t be cheaper than other pizza restaurant.

You are sure it’s impossible because your friend have

come to eat there.
 might / may / could
is used to say that you think something is possible but
you're not sure. 

It might be in sale. It may have cosy ambience.

It could sell new pizza variant.

You think that it is the reason, but you are not sure.
PAST SPECULATION
guessing if something IN THE PAST is true
using the available information.

must have
is used when you feel sure about what
happened.
might / may / could have
is used to say that you think something is possible that
something happened but you're not sure. 

can’t have
 is used when you feel sure about something happened is NOT POSSIBLE.
Examples

Who told the newspapers about the prime minister's plans? It

must have been someone close to him.

Police think the suspect may/might/could have left the

country using a fake passport.

She can't have driven there. Her car keys are still here.
Let’s Practice
The house isn't hard to find. It's the red one at the end.
must
You __________ miss it!

can’t
Who left their laptop on my desk? It ___________ be Mel's. She's working at
home today.

Have you got your passport? I'm not sure if you'll need it but they
may
____________ ask you for ID.
mustbe
Your watch says a different time from mine. One of them ___________
wrong.
 must have come home earlier than
Oh, great! His car's here. He _________________
planned.
can’t have
He _________________ known about it when I saw him. I'm sure he
would have told me.

He wasn't answering the phone before. Maybe he went to the shop or he

might have
________________ been in the shower.

Where's Clare? Her bag's here and her computer's still on so she
can’t have
_________________ gone home.

could have written it in my

I can't remember my password! But I ________________
notebook as sometimes I do that.
In your opinion, what
did cause the fire?

Suthya and Nico are

waiting for a bus. In your
opinion, where is the
bus?