Using May, Might and Can’t to Express Possibility.

Using may, might and can’t to express possibility.

Here is a fun grammar lesson that teaches you how to use some of the modal verbs of possibility.

We can use may, might, could, and can’t to talk about the possibility of something being true:

Past Present/Future

+ Affirmative may + have + past participlemight + have + past participle

may / might / could

- Negative may not + have + past participlemight not + have + past participlecan’t + have + past participle

may not/ might not / can’t

Talking about possibility in the present or future:

For example, have a look at the following still from James Bond - Skyfall:

What might happen in the next two minutes of this clip?

• James Bond might be looking at the artwork.

• The man in the grey coat may be a student.

• The man in the grey coat could sit down next to James Bond.

• James Bond might not want to speak to him.

• The man in the grey coat may not be a good guy.

• James Bond can’t be having fun as the artwork is boring.

You get the idea!

Now watch the following clip and see if your predictions were right:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57Uy9jPxxwI

Talking about possibility in the past:

Now take a look at this picture of Ötzi the Iceman. Ötzi is a man who lived somewhere in the Austrian/Italian Alps in around 3,300 BCE. What can we say about how Ötzi might have lived his life? In what ways could it have been different to our modern lives?

• He might have been a hunter.

• He may have eaten seeds and berries.

• He can’t have used a mobile phone.

• He might not have been very warm in that outfit!

Is it all starting to make sense?

Ok let’s see how much you’ve learnt with a quick modal verbs quiz:

Modal Verbs of Possibility Quiz

Thank You!

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