Unit 4 Grammar Modals:  May  Might  Can  Could Andrea Baeza Alba Martínez de Vega 1ºD

-Ability Can  Can  expresses ability in the present Could  Could  expresses general ability in the past Example:  He`s lucky he can remember facts very easily  When I was a child I could speak Welsh but now I`ve forgotten it completly.

could To talk about an achievement or something that was done with difficulty, we do not used could  We can use was/were able to, managed to + infinitive or succeded in + verb -ing. Example: On holiday, they succeded in holding a conversation with a vocabulary of just 50 words.

-Permission Can  cannot/can´t Can  is often used to express permission and cannot/can´t is often used to express prohibition in the present and in general time. EX: In the UK, children cannot leave school until the are 16. (prohibition) Could and couldn´t  Could and couldn´t  are used to express permission and prohibition in the past EX: In the 1950s, children in the UK could leave school at 14. (permission)

May  May  is sometimes used to express permission and prohibition in the present. - It is more formal and polite than can. o EX: Members may not wear jeans or T-shirts at formal ceremonies.

Requests, suggestions and polite orders Can and Could  Can and Could  are both used to make offers and requests and to give polite orders and sugestions.  CAN   CAN  it is informal  COULD   COULD  it is neutral Example  Can/could i help you with that? (order) Can/could you test me on these words?(request)

Might  Might  is sometimes used to request permission very politely but is usually used only in highly formal situations. Example-  Migh I be allowed to give an opinion on this matter?

Possibilty and probability May, might and could  May, might and could  are used to speculate about the possibility of events and situations in the present and future.  Example  They could decide to take the train(possible)  She may get here on time if she catches the later train (possible)

May, might and could + have + past participle May, might and could + have + past participle are used to speculate about events and situations in the past. Example  They are late. The may have been held up in the rush hour traffic. May, might and could + have + past participle May, might and could + have + past participle are used to talk about possibilities in the past that we know didn´t actually happen. Example  Didn´t used a map? You might have got lost (But you didn´t)

Cannot/ can`t is used to express negative Cannot/ can`t is used to express negative certainty about the present based on evidence. Example: This bill can´t be right. We`ve only had two coffees! Cannot/can`t + have + past Cannot/can`t + have + past participle is used to express negative certainty about the past based on evidence. Example: This doesn`t taste like pizza. She can´t have followed the recipe.

Can and could are used to talk about Can and could are used to talk about theoretical possibility.  Could indicates less confidence than can. Example  The shoool can take pupils but it would be difficult in terms of space. May, might and could + be+ verb -ing May, might and could + be+ verb -ing are used to speculate about events and situations in the immediate present in the future Example  Where´s Sam? He might be studying in his room.

Exercises _____ you please pass me that book? When he was young he _____ dance all night long. _____ you speak Chinese? You ______ at least come with us and meet our new neighbor. She ______ drive but she takes de bus to go to work. Could Can Might Can

Nowadays people ______ travel very easily all over Europe. You _____ not speak during this exam. You ______ smoke on the bus! I ______ go to the party, but I’m not sure yet. You ______ leave now if you wish. I don’t know yet but I ______come with you after all. In that country citizens ______ now make suggestions openly, it is a new democracy. may Can Might Can`t may might

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