MODAL VERBS.

CERTAINTY AND POSSIBILITY

HOW DO WE EXPRESS PROBABILITY AND POSSIBILITY IN
ENGLISH? AND CERTAINTY?
PRESENT
I am waiting for Julie with another friend, David.
I ask: 'Where is Julie?‘
David guesses:

She must be on the bus. (He is fairly sure this is a good guess.)

She might come soon. (maybe)

She could be lost. (maybe)

She may be in the wrong room. (maybe)

She can’t be at home. (He is fairly sure this isn’t true.)

 Notice that the opposite of  ‘must’ is ‘can't’ in this case.

PRESENT

WE ARE SURE IT’S TRUE POSSIBLE WE ARE SURE IT ISN’T TRUE

MIGHT/MIGHT NOT CAN’T

MUST + infinitive MAY/MAY NOT COULDN’T + infinitive
+ infinitive
COULD

Ex. He must be at home Ex. He might/may/could be her Ex. That can’t/couldn’t be

because the light is on. brother but I’m not sure. Sue’s car because hers is in the
garage.

*Couldn’t/could not can also

be used in questions to express
possibility:
Ex: Couldn’t it be a computer
error?
PRESENT

*Should/shouldn’t: used to make an assumption about what is

probably true.

•They should be there by now.

•It shouldn't take long to drive here.
+ infinitive
PAST
Where was Julie last night?
David:

She must have forgotten about our date.

She might have forgotten about our date.

She could have forgotten about our date.

She may have forgotten about our date.

She can’t have stayed at home.

 PAST

WE ARE SURE IT’S TRUE POSSIBLE WE ARE SURE IT ISN’T

TRUE

MIGHT/MIGHT NOT CAN’T HAVE

MUST + HAVE + PAST MAY/MAY NOT + past COULDN’T + past
PARTICIPLE COULD participle participle

Ex. You must have a big part in Ex. It’s unlike that Sally is late. She Ex. She can’t have left her
the play. It must have taken might/may/could have overlept, or glasses at home. I saw her
you ages to learn all the lines. she might not have remembered wearing them on the bus.
the appointment.
PAST

*Should + have + past participle

Used to make an assumption about something that has probably happened,

if everything is as we expect:

• Ex. The train should have left by now