This lesson is about modal verbs used to talk about possibility.
Modal verbs are followed by the infinitive without "to" and their form doesn’t change. They do not take a final -s.
Ability
We use the following verbs to talk about ability:
- Present — can / can’t / be able to / manage to — I can’t swim.
- Past — could / couldn’t / be able to / manage to — They weren’t able to find out his name.
- Perfect — be able to / manage to — Have you managed to finish the report yet?
- Future — be able to / manage to — I won’t be able to meet you later.
Possibility
We use must, may, might, could, couldn’t and can’t when there is some evidence, information or belief that something is probably or possibly true (or not true). The modal verb we choose depends on the strength of the evidence we have to support our ideas.
- very likely — must
- possible — might; may; could; may not; might not
- very unlikely — can’t; couldn’t
Unlock full access by logging in. Registered users can explore the entire lesson and more.