Modal verbs explained with examples with pictures English grammar Modal verbs explained with examples and pictures learning English grammar. (Perhaps he knows her number.) May/Might/Could/Must + Base Verb. Could not shows that something is impossible. Here are some examples: Present. These verbs are very common in English, so it is worth spending time to learn how to use them properly. 3. Inability He can’t ride a horse. Here are some examples of how we might voice our … They have to be in Charlotte before Thursday. Present: Where are my keys? He couldn't be at home. They could be in the car. Modal Verb + Have + Past Participle 1. It’s quite likely Instead, we can use Do you think? Ability Sarven can ride a bike. Solution may. We'll use the following model to help calculate the probability of simple events. Present modal verbs of probably are often constructed with “be” following them. He may/might know Susan's telephone number. Where are my keys? He may/might/could have died. My keys might be in the car. The same is true for “could” in the past. (Perhaps I will see you later.) … While it represented possibility, a blank slate, it also represented an emptiness that needed to be filled. Present: Where are my keys? You need to face the possibility that she will not come back. He might/could have died. For example: As far as I know, the ferry is running on schedule. I may/might see you later. This ESL lesson plan contains activities, games and resources that teach upper-intermediate level students how to express certainty and possibility in English. In addition to ‘may’, ‘could’, ‘might’ and ‘must’ are also used in expressing possibility. Present: Where are my keys? (I'm fairly sure this is a good guess) She might come soon. Must can be used in the same way to show certainty in the past. Modal verb are used with other verbs to express various things like ability, obligation and possibility Modal verbs with their meaning and examples They ought to be home by the time we get there. Request Can you help me? P(at least one head) = 1 – P(all tails) = 1 – 1/32 = 31/32. (uncertainty) ". " The odds are Example – The odds are he will win the gold medal. Let's say you have ten pairs of socks in your sock drawer. It is the ratio of the number of ways an event can occur to the number of possible outcomes. (= Maybe they are at home.) She can cook really well. I'm not sure. Couldn't + perfect infinitive is often used with comparative adjectives: It was a great year, and I couldn't have been happier. or be likely to/that: Do you think he may/might know Susan's telephone number? 3. They will then have to explain what it is by talking about what they may or may not do with it. You can see “can” is always followed by a base verb. Modal Verb + Base Verb Probably Example – It’s probably going to rain tonight. For this speaking activity, the students have to use the target language to describe different nouns to the class. May, might and could + perfect infinitive express uncertainty with reference to past actions: We haven't heard from him for ten years. How to Use "Possibility" with Example Sentences. " Alicia cannot drive a car. Probability is the chance or likelihood that an event will happen. George must beon the plane by now. Jan can not run fast. They could still be waiting for us. Modal verbs are a very important of the English language. 4. There is a good chance Example – There’s a good chance India may win. 6. Could, may or might convey the idea of future possibility. The word probability is derived from the Latin word probabilitas, which means provable. Would you like to practice your understanding of modal verbs for possibility? 1. Imay go traveling next year. Paul and Ingrid can ski. 5. Example 2: A jar contains 4 blue marbles, 5 red marbles and 11 white marbles. (future possibility) 2. 2. Dengan kata lain, kejadian tersebut mungkin terjadi atau mungkin tidak terjadi. Could can be used instead of may and might with the verb be: You could be right. What does might mean? You could also express this as 0.058 or 5.8%. (they are very polite). 1. Definition The modal verb mightis most often used to express an unlikely or uncertain possibility. It is just one of a number of possibilities. 2. (Although it seems obvious, it is not a fact that the runner is tired.). The construction in the present would be: Present = could + verb (do) Examples of using could in the present tense in dialogue include: Jane could be at work, or she could be at home. (Tampaknya Indonesia akan kalah dalam pertandingan.) She may have gone home early. If you find the free materials useful and want complete access to all of our teaching resources, you should consider becoming a member . But when we want to say that something was possible but did not happen, we use might or could: He was very careless when crossing the road. (maybe) She could be lost. Use could to express a possibility which is one of many. There IS a difference between must and have to when expressing necessity for yourself or others. I talk about how to use these verbs and give you example sentences. Let's explore all of the possibilities. must. I must be careful not to upset him. Let’s stop by their house on the way home. 3. Here are some common present modal verbs. Flying can betoo expensive. May shows possibility in the present or the future. He may/might know Susan's telephone number. Exercise instructions. Future: We could go to the party tonight. Edina is studying the possibility of a commuter rail service through the city and is seeking feedback from residents and … Probability Example 1. May and Might – possibility The verbs ‘may’ and ‘might’ are used to say that something is possibly true: I think I might be coming down with the flu. He can speak Japanese. Use could have, might have and may have to show that something was possible in the past up until now. She can climb the stairs. May/might not + perfect infinitive is used for uncertainty, but could not + perfect infinitive (except for the case above) expresses deduction: I had better call Anne. Everyone is wearing a jacket. We say “I can”, “she can”, “they can”, etc. Modal verbs are a special class of verbs that add degrees of ability, possibility, permission or obligation to another verb. We use “CAN” to express 1. ". " My job has opened up new possibilities for me. You can use three verbs: could, may, might.For example: It could take you two hours to get there by train. This summer might be really hot. Talking about a specific possibility in the present or future. It has to be cold. That must be Maria on the phone - she’s the only person with my new number. shall. Example. He was running for 2 hours. Oliver can perform two tasks at a time. Might not shows that something probably is not true. 1. This modal verbs for possibility lesson shows you how to use them all correctly in English. 1. ** NOTE ** We normally use have to for things that happen repeatedly with adverbs of frequency like always, often, and regularly. (Although it seems obvious, it is not a fact that the runner is tired.). It must be cold. He must have won the game. 2. Everyone is wearing a jacket. Because of the uncertainty, these modals are often used to talk about the future, though sometimes we want to express possibility in the present. It does not mater what the subject is. 3. You should introduce yourself; he may/might not remember you. Katie may belate to the movie. Drew can’t be goingto the party. She must be on the bus. (deduction), For timeline diagrams, quotes and exercises, check out our e-book The Grammaring Guide to English Grammar, Grammaring – A guide to English grammar | Copyright © 2009-2020, Categories of meaning expressed by modals, Modals to express permission / prohibition: CAN, COULD, MAY, MIGHT, BE ALLOWED TO, MUSTN'T, BE TO, Modals to express predictions: BE GOING TO, WILL, Modals to express deduction: MUST, CAN'T, COULDN'T. In this posting I discuss 6 types of modals: modals of ability, permission, probability, advice, necessity, and polite requests. “Auxiliary Verb Can”Modal Auxiliary verb ‘can’ is used to express ability, request and possibility, as we will see in the following examples. He must be tired. What is the probability of getting a sum of 7 when two dice are thrown? I could have caught the bus if I had hurried. Side effects of this medication may include upset stomach and fever. Toni: Why do you say that? You can find links to the exercises at the bottom of the page. This could not be the only book available. For instance, if we were watching a trapeze artist perform in a circus we could use some different modals to describe the action. Sol: Probability math - Total … (Perhaps she doesn't/won't remember you.). Tono: It seems Indonesia will lose the match. When talking about the present, modal verbs of probability express a guess or suggestion. It couldn't have been John you saw this morning. They can perform on stage. If three marbles are drawn from the jar at random, what is the probability that the first marble is red, the second marble is blue, and the third is white? Eight of them are yellow, and two of them are black. She may/might not have read my e-mail. Have to is much less formal than must, and is common in conversation. May, might, and could are all used to show possibility in the past. He was running for 2 hours. She might be late. May and might + infinitive are used to express present or future possibility. Many do not have a past tense. Must can be used in the same way to show certainty in the past. That will be Maria on the phone - she said she’d call. Are you likely to get here before 8? (Mengapa kamu mengatakan itu?) The probability is 13/52 x 12/51 = 12/204 = 1/17. (I didn't hurry, so I didn't catch the bus.). It can also be used to suggest an action, or to introduce two differing possibilities. 3. Might not shows that something probably will not happen in the future. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Several modal verbs show possibility, including might, may, could, and must. I can drive safely. –> Again, this is specific: we’re talking about this summer, not every summer. Click on the links below to learn and practice. I may/might see you later. If we don't hurry, we could be late. We should arrive in Vancouver in about an hour. You should introduce yourself; he may/might not remember you. 1. a) To Express Ability/Inability 1. Demo it a c… Tono: The match will end in a few minutes and Indonesia still do not score a goal. May and might + infinitive are used to express present or future possibility. He might have brought the cake. Write the word on a piece of paper and show it to that student only. Don't rule out the possibility of a company merger. She could not know who my friend is. : A third possibility is that structural position and self-monitoring may have relatively independent, additive effects on performance in organizations. will. Mightis also used to very formally or politely ask for permission, and it is used as the past-tense form of maywhen asking permission in reported speech. Examples. (Perhaps I will see you later.) Use These Examples of Probability To Guide You Through Calculating the Probability of Simple Events. Must, may, might, can’t and couldn’t are used with a present perfect verb form to show how certain a speaker is that a past situation happened or didn’t happen. Try the tests below: Grammar    Writing   Listening    Reading    Vocabulary    Pronunciation, IELTS   TOEFL   TOEIC   Business English   Logic Activities, Copyright © 2021 360Learning Inc.Home They might be in the car. However, that only goes for random choices. Although might and could express possibility in a similar way, the negative forms of might and could are different. Is it likely that you will get here before 8? Pengertian Expressing Possibility and Impossibility di Lengkapi Contoh Percakapan dalam Bahasa Inggris Hello sahabat SBI (Study bahasa Inggris), bagaimana cara mengungkapkan suatu hal yang kita tidak benar yakin itu terjadi atau tidak terjadi dalam bahasa Inggris? What about specific possibilities? Examples: She could be late. She may be late. (Perhaps he knows her number.) May is formal and is often found in writing, like this example: Might is less formal than may, and is more common in conversation. Except for this use, couldn't expresses negative deduction, not possibility: It's only 10 o'clock. We use these modals to describe a possible action. She can speak German. In addition, they are usually used as auxiliary verbs and are followed by the base form of the verb. - We use will to express a strong possibility that something is true, especially when we don’t have actual evidence at the moment. 2. Someone is knocking on the door. About. 4. What is the probability of the occurrence of a number that is odd or less than 5 when a fair die is rolled. Examples: In this exercise you will practise using modal verbs to express present probability: must, can’t, could, may, might. Certainty, or the belief of certainty, from the speaker. I can play table tennis. May and might are usually not used to introduce a question. He has to be tired. (He didn't die.) In Spanish, there are many different ways of expressing possibility and probability. Something is possible in the present or future. They may be in the car. ". " : Set among the vacant houses of suburban New Mexico, the film offers a bleak perspective on the possibility of growth and renewal. Future: We could go to the party tonight. (He is usually at work at this time of the day.). (= Maybe they will come by car.) (maybe) She can't be at home. May expresses a greater degree of certainty: You should ask him. Fill in each gap using must, can’t, could, may or might. May expresses a greater degree of certainty: You should ask him. The common modal verbs in English are: can. Sample Probability questions with solutions. I can’t type very fast. Probability of getting no head = P(all tails) = 1/32. They have never met. One at a time, a student will come to the front of the class to describe an object to the room. He is away on holiday. You can work from the following list or choose your own. The negative form couldn't is often used with comparative adjectives: The food is delicious, and the staff couldn't be more polite. –> This is specific: it could take you two hours, not someone else. They could be in the car. The plural form of probability is probabilities. This form is not as strong as might or may. In this English lesson you will learn few expressions that will help you to express possibility. If you closed your eyes and picked one, there is a very likely (8/10 or 80%) chance that you're going to pick a pair of yellow socks. Improve your English grammar with more lessons and exercises. There is a grammar explanation at the bottom of the page. Might is defined as to express doubt or a lower possibility. (I was very happy). 2. We can cook. Contoh Dialog Expressing Possibility and Impossibility. We can’t lift 100 kilos. We use may, might and could to say that something is possible, but not certain: They may come by car. May, might, and could are all used to show possibility in the past. Modal Verbs Exercise 2 – English Grammar Exercises. (present possibility) Mike can swim well. Possibility Use could, might and may to show that something is possible in the future, though you are not 100% certain. They could have worked late. I can play the guitar. (maybe) She may be in the wrong room. 4. (= Maybe we will be late.) (I'm fairly sure this isn't true) Notice that the opposite of 'must ' is ' can't in this case. 2. They can eat with chop sticks. - We use must to express complete certainty. ". They might be at home. (Perhaps he has died, but we don't know.). Can be used instead of may and might + infinitive are used to suggest an action, or belief... Self-Monitoring may have relatively independent, additive effects on performance in organizations idea of future possibility that is or... 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