Look at these examples to see how must, might, may, could and can't can be used.
That must be the main entrance. I can see people queuing to get in.
I've lost my keys. They might be at work or they could be in the car.
You can't be bored already! You've only been here five minutes.
Try this exercise to test your grammar.
- Grammar test 1
Read the explanation to learn more.
Grammar explanation
We can use modal verbs for deduction – guessing if something is true using the available information. The modal verb we choose shows how certain we are about the possibility. This page focuses on making deductions about the present or future.
must
We use must when we feel sure that something is true or it's the only realistic possibility.
This must be her house. I can see her car in the garage.
He must live near here because he always walks to work.
Come inside and get warm. You must be freezing out there!
might, may, could
We use might, may or could to say that we think something is possible but we're not sure.
She's not here yet. She might be stuck in traffic.
He's not answering. He could be in class.
We regret to inform you that some services may be delayed due to the bad weather.
They all have the same meaning, but may is more formal than might and could.
can't
We use can't when we feel sure that something is not possible.
It can't be far now. We've been driving for hours.
She can't know about the complaint. She's promoted him to team leader.
It can't be easy for him, looking after three kids on his own.
Note that these verbs, like all modal verbs, are followed by an infinitive without to.
Do this exercise to test your grammar again.
- Grammar test 2
Hello dear sir.Can you please tell me what is the difference between these two sentences?
1.I start speaking.
2.I start to speak.
Thanks
Hello jassa,
You can use either form and there is no difference in meaning.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Thank you dear sir🙏
One another question🙋
The model verb 'Will' is used in first conditional and mixed conditional sentences but not in zero, second, third and forth conditional sentences?
Thanks👍
Hello jassa,
'Will' can be used in real conditional sentences to describe a predicted or sure result in the future.
These names ('first conditional', 'second conditional' etc) are not real grammatical classifications but rather names we give to particular common patterns as an aid to learning. In reality, all conditionals follow the same simple two rules:
As long as these two rules are followed, you can create all sorts of patterns. For example, you can have a real past situation and a real future result:
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Thank you so much dear Peter🙏
So real conditional means any sentence which has conditions?
Hello jassa,
No. A real conditional is one which is possible, likely or sure to happen:
Here, I believe there is a good chance of rain.
An unreal conditional is one which is impossible, unlikely or sure not to happen:
In this sentence I don't believe it will rain.
You can read more about this here:
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/b1-b2-grammar/conditionals-zero-first-second
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hon'ble LearnEnglish Team,
In this article, we studied modal verbs used for "deduction about the present": must, may, might, could etc.
I have learned somewhere that the modal verb "will" can also express beliefs about the present. For example:
1. Sam will be at home. (This is a belief about the present)
2. Don't phone my friend. He will be sleeping now. (This is again a deduction about the present)
If "will" can be used to express deduction about the present, what is the difference between "will", and "must" and "may/might/could"? Could you please explain in detail giving several examples and references?
I have also seen some people use "would" to express deduction about the present. For example:
1. That old man would be 80 full stop
2. He would be at home.
Is it correct to use "would" in the sense it has been used in these two sentences?
Could you please help me understand these nuances with explanations, examples, and references, if any?
Hi ShetuYogme,
"Will" expresses either certainty or a prediction. For example, in Sam will be at home, the speaker is either certain that this is true, or believes or guesses that it is true.
That is a bit different from deduction, because a deduction is a logical process and it is always based on some kind of evidence or reasoning (while a guess or a belief is not). For example, if I say Sam must be at home, it implies that I am stating this for some reason (e.g. because I know that Sam is always at home at this time every day). "Must" emphasises the logic and reason that resulted in making this statement. "Will" does not, and it simply emphasises that I am certain about it or that I believe this to be true.
"Might" and "could" express only a moderate level of confidence that the statement is actually true.
"Would" expresses similar meanings to "will", but with somewhat less confidence.
I hope that helps.
Jonathan
LearnEnglish team
Hi again,
When you say "will" express certainty, does "Sam will be at home" mean "Sam is at home"?
Can "you will have enjoyed the party" mean "you enjoyed the party"? Is it possible to use "will have" to refer to past certainty and predictions?
Does "you would have enjoyed the party" mean "you enjoyed the party", the speaker saying with less confidence and it is not a conditional sentence?
Thank you.
Hi ShetuYogme,
They are similar, but there are nuances. "Sam will be at home" includes the meaning of "I believe this to be true". It does not mean simply "Sam is at home", but is closer to "I believe that Sam is at home".
In comparison, "Sam is at home" (present simple) is a factual statement. The issue of what the speaker believes is irrelevant to this statement, since it is presented as a fact.
Yes, you can use "will have" for past certainty and predictions. "Will have" and past simple have the same difference in meaning as the difference between "will" and present simple, described above.
About "you would have enjoyed the party", this particular sentence and context seem more likely to mean an unreal and imagined past action, i.e. the person did not in fact go to the party. This is a conditional meaning: "You would have enjoyed the party, if you had gone to it".
Jonathan
LearnEnglish team