Welcome to
ESL Printables, the website where English Language teachers exchange resources: worksheets, lesson plans,  activities, etc.
Our collection is growing every day with the help of many teachers. If you want to download you have to send your own contributions.

 


 

 

 

ESL Forum:

Techniques and methods in Language Teaching

Games, activities and teaching ideas

Grammar and Linguistics

Teaching material

Concerning worksheets

Concerning powerpoints

Concerning online exercises

Make suggestions, report errors

Ask for help

Message board

 

ESL forum > Grammar and Linguistics > Modals of deduction    

Modals of deduction



mish.cz
Czech Republic

Modals of deduction
 

Dear colleagues and ESLP friends of mine,�

I �m planning a lesson about modals of certainty. Is that right if I say, the the modals MAY, MIGHT and COULD all express possibility/probability, with the information that MAY is supposed to express the strongest and COULD the weakest degree of certainty about the statement? I am aware of the fact that it can be just a formal principle but still, is that ok?

Thanks a lot, Mish

5 Dec 2010      





06.04
Turkey

it is not discussible, you should apply to a grammar reference book. 

5 Dec 2010     



mish.cz
Czech Republic

I usually use this forum to ask people who have more experience with the real use English (luckily native speakers but don�t stick to it) than me about things that I have learned somewhere else (usually in grammar guides or yet better at university which is a while ago) and simply want to make sure by reading their opinions because the grammar guides might sometimes be a little too much theoretical and the native users might be a valuable source of information to compare with what is written in them.

I always try to be polite and feel very grateful if someone really tries to give me an answer.

Greetings, Mish

5 Dec 2010     



kodora
Greece

The following link might help you
http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/modal1.html
Dora

5 Dec 2010     



blunderbuster
Germany

Mish is a very kind and helpful member and should be allowed to ask anything she wants, as long as she doesn �t want to know my bank account number or passowrd for this site ;o)

Thumbs Up

5 Dec 2010     



mish.cz
Czech Republic

Big smile�My dear Regina:-) Missing you and your lovely sense of humor.�

Thank you, Kodora, for the link. It proves the difference of the meaning of could but still doubtful about may and mightCry BTW the site seems to be pretty good. Thanks a lot.

5 Dec 2010     



yanogator
United States

Dora �s link is a good one. In common usage here in the US, there is really no distinction among "may", "might" and "could". We use "may" and "might" completely interchangably, and sometimes use "could" in different sentences, but no stronger or weaker in certainty than the other two. Where did you get that information?
 
Also, who is 06.04, and why do you say it is not discussable? This is the kind of thing we often discuss here.
 
Bruce

5 Dec 2010     



mish.cz
Czech Republic

Thank you, Bruce, so much and once again!!! Such an answer is what I was looking for.

To be honest I cannot tell you now where this information is from because at the moment I am browsing my older materials I took from different sources a year or so ago and printed them to take them home for the weekend not to have too much rest:-) �It must have occurred in some profound linguistic source:-) Sorry for that.

5 Dec 2010     



blunderbuster
Germany

Bruce is my most favorite member here, I love men with beards, with or without an excellent understanding of grammar ;o)

5 Dec 2010     



yanogator
United States

Embarrassed

5 Dec 2010     



zailda
Brazil

Hi
 
Talking about probability, the strongest is must (logical deduction) and cannot corresponding to it in the negative.
 
Could (used with have + participle) / may mean "probably" and might means "it �s possible" but also implies there are other possible options, so it means a less degree of possibility than may / could.
 
Deduction --> stronger
 
The door is open but I saw Lin going to work an hour ago. She cannot be home. (deduction using the information I have)
 
John is in a hurry. He must be late. (deduction, using the information I have)
 
John is not home. He works from 8 to 6. It �s 6:20. He may be stuck in traffic. ("probably")
 
In past situations, may / could are used interchangeably:
 
The Millers could have saved their house, but no one noticed the fire.
 
the least degree of probability
 
John is not home. He might be about to arrive. (or might be at work, or at his sister �s)

5 Dec 2010     

1    2    3    Next >