Jan can not run fast. We say “I can”, “she can”, “they can”, etc. Don't rule out the possibility of a company merger. One at a time, a student will come to the front of the class to describe an object to the room. May/might not + perfect infinitive is used for uncertainty, but could not + perfect infinitive (except for the case above) expresses deduction: I had better call Anne. I may/might see you later. 3. (He is usually at work at this time of the day.). Improve your English grammar with more lessons and exercises. For example: As far as I know, the ferry is running on schedule. We use may, might and could to say that something is possible, but not certain: They may come by car. ". " They might be in the car. They have never met. Exercise instructions. This modal verbs for possibility lesson shows you how to use them all correctly in English. shall. Let's explore all of the possibilities. Click on the links below to learn and practice. ". " Examples. You need to face the possibility that she will not come back. will. Modal Verbs Exercise 2 – English Grammar Exercises. Let’s stop by their house on the way home. Use could to express a possibility which is one of many. Modal Verb + Have + Past Participle 1. The word probability is derived from the Latin word probabilitas, which means provable. Modal verbs are a special class of verbs that add degrees of ability, possibility, permission or obligation to another verb. The common modal verbs in English are: can. She may be late. (Although it seems obvious, it is not a fact that the runner is tired.). (Tampaknya Indonesia akan kalah dalam pertandingan.) Alicia cannot drive a car. They could have worked late. Modal verbs are a very important of the English language. Someone is knocking on the door. About. Let's say you have ten pairs of socks in your sock drawer. You can work from the following list or choose your own. That must be Maria on the phone - she’s the only person with my new number. You can find links to the exercises at the bottom of the page. He might have brought the cake. ". There is a good chance Example – There’s a good chance India may win. May, might, and could are all used to show possibility in the past. Probably Example – It’s probably going to rain tonight. For this speaking activity, the students have to use the target language to describe different nouns to the class. Present: Where are my keys? They could still be waiting for us. (I'm fairly sure this isn't true) Notice that the opposite of 'must ' is ' can't in this case. Would you like to practice your understanding of modal verbs for possibility? May and might are usually not used to introduce a question. I can play table tennis. 3. Could can be used instead of may and might with the verb be: You could be right. May expresses a greater degree of certainty: You should ask him. May, might and could + perfect infinitive express uncertainty with reference to past actions: We haven't heard from him for ten years. 4. He can speak Japanese. You can see “can” is always followed by a base verb. I'm not sure. The same is true for “could” in the past. It’s quite likely This could not be the only book available. - We use must to express complete certainty. Example. (they are very polite). The plural form of probability is probabilities. Talking about a specific possibility in the present or future. Modal verbs explained with examples with pictures English grammar Modal verbs explained with examples and pictures learning English grammar. must. She may have gone home early. - We use will to express a strong possibility that something is true, especially when we don’t have actual evidence at the moment. Fill in each gap using must, can’t, could, may or might. While it represented possibility, a blank slate, it also represented an emptiness that needed to be filled. Mightis also used to very formally or politely ask for permission, and it is used as the past-tense form of maywhen asking permission in reported speech. Ability Sarven can ride a bike. I must be careful not to upset him. P(at least one head) = 1 – P(all tails) = 1 – 1/32 = 31/32. You should introduce yourself; he may/might not remember you. Must, may, might, can’t and couldn’t are used with a present perfect verb form to show how certain a speaker is that a past situation happened or didn’t happen. (He didn't die.) I can’t type very fast. My keys might be in the car. If we don't hurry, we could be late. The negative form couldn't is often used with comparative adjectives: The food is delicious, and the staff couldn't be more polite. He may/might/could have died. The construction in the present would be: Present = could + verb (do) Examples of using could in the present tense in dialogue include: Jane could be at work, or she could be at home. May and might + infinitive are used to express present or future possibility. You can use three verbs: could, may, might.For example: It could take you two hours to get there by train. When talking about the present, modal verbs of probability express a guess or suggestion. In addition to ‘may’, ‘could’, ‘might’ and ‘must’ are also used in expressing possibility. Many do not have a past tense. They can perform on stage. Imay go traveling next year. May is formal and is often found in writing, like this example: Might is less formal than may, and is more common in conversation. They ought to be home by the time we get there. 2. 4. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Several modal verbs show possibility, including might, may, could, and must. Try the tests below: Grammar    Writing   Listening    Reading    Vocabulary    Pronunciation, IELTS   TOEFL   TOEIC   Business English   Logic Activities, Copyright © 2021 360Learning Inc.Home 4. (present possibility) Paul and Ingrid can ski. Except for this use, couldn't expresses negative deduction, not possibility: It's only 10 o'clock. Might not shows that something probably is not true. ** NOTE ** We normally use have to for things that happen repeatedly with adverbs of frequency like always, often, and regularly. Modal Verb + Base Verb Future: We could go to the party tonight. It is the ratio of the number of ways an event can occur to the number of possible outcomes. She could not know who my friend is. Request Can you help me? (= Maybe we will be late.) May and Might – possibility The verbs ‘may’ and ‘might’ are used to say that something is possibly true: I think I might be coming down with the flu. 2. There IS a difference between must and have to when expressing necessity for yourself or others. We use “CAN” to express 1. Have to is much less formal than must, and is common in conversation. That will be Maria on the phone - she said she’d call. Modal verb are used with other verbs to express various things like ability, obligation and possibility Modal verbs with their meaning and examples Something is possible in the present or future. Although might and could express possibility in a similar way, the negative forms of might and could are different. 3. In this English lesson you will learn few expressions that will help you to express possibility. (Mengapa kamu mengatakan itu?) We should arrive in Vancouver in about an hour. 6. May expresses a greater degree of certainty: You should ask him. This summer might be really hot. (uncertainty) (I'm fairly sure this is a good guess) She might come soon. I may/might see you later. Present: Where are my keys? He may/might know Susan's telephone number. This ESL lesson plan contains activities, games and resources that teach upper-intermediate level students how to express certainty and possibility in English. She might be late. They might be at home. What does might mean? 3. Could not shows that something is impossible. In Spanish, there are many different ways of expressing possibility and probability. Dengan kata lain, kejadian tersebut mungkin terjadi atau mungkin tidak terjadi. (maybe) She may be in the wrong room. 5. (Perhaps he knows her number.) 3. Must can be used in the same way to show certainty in the past. She can climb the stairs. (I was very happy). Present: Where are my keys? They can eat with chop sticks. (Perhaps she doesn't/won't remember you.). Side effects of this medication may include upset stomach and fever. : Set among the vacant houses of suburban New Mexico, the film offers a bleak perspective on the possibility of growth and renewal. These verbs are very common in English, so it is worth spending time to learn how to use them properly. Future: We could go to the party tonight. Everyone is wearing a jacket. What is the probability of getting a sum of 7 when two dice are thrown? The odds are Example – The odds are he will win the gold medal. Here are some common present modal verbs. May/Might/Could/Must + Base Verb. In this posting I discuss 6 types of modals: modals of ability, permission, probability, advice, necessity, and polite requests. may. It is just one of a number of possibilities. He has to be tired. Couldn't + perfect infinitive is often used with comparative adjectives: It was a great year, and I couldn't have been happier. Might not shows that something probably will not happen in the future. It does not mater what the subject is. They will then have to explain what it is by talking about what they may or may not do with it. Tono: It seems Indonesia will lose the match. It can also be used to suggest an action, or to introduce two differing possibilities. Use could have, might have and may have to show that something was possible in the past up until now. (Perhaps he has died, but we don't know.). She may/might not have read my e-mail. Examples: (deduction), For timeline diagrams, quotes and exercises, check out our e-book The Grammaring Guide to English Grammar, Grammaring – A guide to English grammar | Copyright © 2009-2020, Categories of meaning expressed by modals, Modals to express permission / prohibition: CAN, COULD, MAY, MIGHT, BE ALLOWED TO, MUSTN'T, BE TO, Modals to express predictions: BE GOING TO, WILL, Modals to express deduction: MUST, CAN'T, COULDN'T. Eight of them are yellow, and two of them are black. My job has opened up new possibilities for me. This form is not as strong as might or may. ". " Sample Probability questions with solutions. However, that only goes for random choices. 2. Example 2: A jar contains 4 blue marbles, 5 red marbles and 11 white marbles. If you closed your eyes and picked one, there is a very likely (8/10 or 80%) chance that you're going to pick a pair of yellow socks. Here are some examples of how we might voice our … Probability is the chance or likelihood that an event will happen. 1. … 1. If you find the free materials useful and want complete access to all of our teaching resources, you should consider becoming a member . He was running for 2 hours. But when we want to say that something was possible but did not happen, we use might or could: He was very careless when crossing the road. We can cook. Could, may or might convey the idea of future possibility. There is a grammar explanation at the bottom of the page. She must be on the bus. 1. (I didn't hurry, so I didn't catch the bus.). He is away on holiday. It has to be cold. If three marbles are drawn from the jar at random, what is the probability that the first marble is red, the second marble is blue, and the third is white? The probability is 13/52 x 12/51 = 12/204 = 1/17. Sol: Probability math - Total … Flying can betoo expensive. Tono: The match will end in a few minutes and Indonesia still do not score a goal. –> Again, this is specific: we’re talking about this summer, not every summer. What is the probability of the occurrence of a number that is odd or less than 5 when a fair die is rolled. Present modal verbs of probably are often constructed with “be” following them. She can cook really well. “Auxiliary Verb Can”Modal Auxiliary verb ‘can’ is used to express ability, request and possibility, as we will see in the following examples. 2. What about specific possibilities? (Although it seems obvious, it is not a fact that the runner is tired.). Edina is studying the possibility of a commuter rail service through the city and is seeking feedback from residents and … They could be in the car. 1. Demo it a c… Pengertian Expressing Possibility and Impossibility di Lengkapi Contoh Percakapan dalam Bahasa Inggris Hello sahabat SBI (Study bahasa Inggris), bagaimana cara mengungkapkan suatu hal yang kita tidak benar yakin itu terjadi atau tidak terjadi dalam bahasa Inggris? Examples: She could be late. He may/might know Susan's telephone number. Because of the uncertainty, these modals are often used to talk about the future, though sometimes we want to express possibility in the present. Write the word on a piece of paper and show it to that student only. Drew can’t be goingto the party. We use these modals to describe a possible action. Must can be used in the same way to show certainty in the past. (= Maybe they are at home.) She can speak German. Inability He can’t ride a horse. I can drive safely. Is it likely that you will get here before 8? (Perhaps he knows her number.) I talk about how to use these verbs and give you example sentences. They have to be in Charlotte before Thursday. We can’t lift 100 kilos. You could also express this as 0.058 or 5.8%. 2. They may be in the car. Probability of getting no head = P(all tails) = 1/32. He might/could have died. Possibility Use could, might and may to show that something is possible in the future, though you are not 100% certain. George must beon the plane by now. Oliver can perform two tasks at a time. Where are my keys? May shows possibility in the present or the future. He couldn't be at home. or be likely to/that: Do you think he may/might know Susan's telephone number? May and might + infinitive are used to express present or future possibility. : A third possibility is that structural position and self-monitoring may have relatively independent, additive effects on performance in organizations. Certainty, or the belief of certainty, from the speaker. I can play the guitar. May, might, and could are all used to show possibility in the past. Mike can swim well. Solution Might is defined as to express doubt or a lower possibility. Katie may belate to the movie. It couldn't have been John you saw this morning. He was running for 2 hours. (Perhaps I will see you later.) (maybe) She can't be at home. Definition The modal verb mightis most often used to express an unlikely or uncertain possibility. (Perhaps I will see you later.) He must be tired. I could have caught the bus if I had hurried. Instead, we can use Do you think? We'll use the following model to help calculate the probability of simple events. How to Use "Possibility" with Example Sentences. " Here are some examples: Present. Are you likely to get here before 8? Toni: Why do you say that? –> This is specific: it could take you two hours, not someone else. In this exercise you will practise using modal verbs to express present probability: must, can’t, could, may, might. They could be in the car. (maybe) She could be lost. It must be cold. (future possibility) 2. 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