Tuesday, May 15th, 2012

Last Class  CAN  Ability / Possibility  Inability / Impossibility  Asking for Permission  Request

Could  Asking for permission.  Request  Suggestion  Future possibility  Ability in the past

Would  Asking for permission Request  Request  Making arrangements  Invitation  Preferences

Exercise Fill in the gaps with COULD, CAN, WOULD. I _____finish tomorrow. (not sure) He _____ go if he wants. (certainty) We ______ be very tired after playing soccer. (probability)

Exercise  _____ you play chess with me? (Formal Request)  _____ you call me? (formal request)  ___ she go out tonight? (informal request)

MAY and MIGHT

Difference  MAY > MIGHT  Time tenses

May  Possibility  Request Permission  Give Permission

May  Possibility  It may rain

May  I may be able tomorrow.  She may want to go with you.  The teacher may be giving juice.  She may hate you after having cheated on her.  He may be drunk after that party.  It may be pretty difficult to say that you are a thief.

May Not  My mom may not be so happy after knowing she’s gonna be a granny.  I may not work tomorrow.  They may not know that.  It may not be a good idea.  He may not play in the street.

May – Request Permission  May I leave early?  May I smoke here?  May I ask a question please?  May we go home now?  May I use your telephone?  May we suggest something?

May – Giving Permission  You may go home now, if you like.  Students may travel free.

Might  Possibility  Suggestion  Request

Might - Possibility  She might be on the bus. I think her car is having problems.  She might not be on the bus. She might be walking home.  She might have taken the bus. I'm not sure how she got to work.  She might not have taken the bus. She might have walked home.

Might - Suggestion  You might try the cheesecake.  You might not want to eat the cheese cake. It's very calorific.

Might – Request (super mega formal)  Might I have something to drink?  Might I borrow the stapler?

Rewrite these sentences using May or Might.  I am talking to my boss and I am very thirsty. I really need a glass of water.  I am not sure if Susy got the message.  I think that your ex will get over you soon.  I think I’m wrong.

 I don’t think you should tell her about your disease.  I do want to go early, but my teacher is very strict.  I think that your friend is cheating on her girlfriend.

When you think or guess that something might have happened.  Subject + May/Might + have + Past participle verb + predicate  Examples  You might have chosen another lesson.  He might have told all the truth.  She may have had an accident.