MAY AND MIGHT

We use May and Might to talk about possible actions or happenings in the future:

• I haven’t decided yet where to spend my holidays. I may go to Ireland. (= perhaps I will go to Ireland)

• Take an umbrella with you when you go out. It might rain later. (=perhaps it will rain)

• The bus doesn’t always come on time. We might have to wait a few minutes. (=perhaps we will have to wait)

• The negative forms are may not and might not (mightn’t)

• Ann may not come to the party tonight. She isn’t well.

• There might not be a meeting on Friday because the director is ill.

• We use might when the situation isn’t real:

• If I knew them better, I might invite them to dinner. (the situation here is not real because I don’t know them very well, so I’m not going to invite them.)

MODAL VERBS

MUST

We use must to say that we feel sure something is true:

• You’ve been travelling all day. You must be tired.• Carol must get very bored in her job. She does the same thing every day.• I must pay my cell phone account today, or I will be in trouble.

The negative of must is must not or mustn’t

• You mustn’t say that bad words to me, it is awful!!!

CAN

We use can to say that something is possible or that somebody has the ability to do something:

• We can see the lake from bedroom window• Can you speak any foreign languages?• I can come and see you tomorrow if you like• She can speak Spanish very well

The negative is can’t or cannot:

• I’m afraid I can’t come to the party on Friday night.• He can’t dance salsa music even though he was attending to some dance classes downtown.

Don’t forget that the simple past of CAN is COULD , but we use “could” specially with:

See hear smell taste feel remember understand We also use “could” to say that somebody had the general ability or permission to do something:

• My grandfather could speak five languages• We were completely free. We could do what we wanted.• The negative couldn’t (could not) is possible in all situations: Notice that modals verbs are the same for all the subject pronouns, they don’t change their ways, for example, You say: She can play the pianoYou don’t say: SHE CANS PLAY THE PIANOThe same is for the rest of the modal verbs, they NEVER change with ANY subject pronouns

• My uncle couldn’t swim.• We tried hard but we couldn’t persuade them to come with us.• Alf played well but he couldn’t beat Jack.