MODAL VERBS OF PROBABILITY

Modal verbs

OF PROBABILITY

.01

MODALS

Also called

PROBABILITY

modals of deduction, speculation or certainty

Modal verbs of probability, are used to express the likelihood that something may or may not be true. We can use modals of probability to speculate on what is happening in the present, or on what has happened in the past.

present

past

.02

Present

For example, imagine that you wonder why it seems so hot in your apartment. Here are some speculative statements about that:

Speculating on the Present:

We often wonder what is happening to cause a present situation to exist. One way we express this curiosity is to use the verbs, must, might, could, may, or can’t, followed by an infinitive.

• The air conditioning must be working.
• The air conditioner might need more time to work.
• We could be experiencing a blackout.
• It may be too hot for this air conditioner to work.
• I can’t be imagining that it’s too hot.

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.03

Past

Speculating on the Past:

For example, let’s say you can’t find the leftover cheeseburger from last night’s meal in the refrigerator. Here are some speculative statements about why it is not there:

We can also use modal verbs to speculate on what might have happened in the past. We generally do this by adding “have” and a past participle to the modal verb.

• I must have left the cheeseburger on the counter.
• The cat might have eaten.
• I could have forgotten my phone at the restaurant.
• My wife may have taken it to work.
• I can’t have finished it in my sleep.

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