Modals to Express Degrees of Certainty

Nosy Neighbors

2

Focus on Grammar 5Part II, Unit 6By Ruth Luman, Gabriele Steiner, and BJ WellsCopyright © 2006. Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Nosy Neighbors 1Nosy Neighbors 1

Honey, how can Mrs. Carson afford a Ferrari? Isn’t she

a teacher?I suppose. Or she could have won

the lottery.

Who knows? She may have

gotten a big raise at work.

Well, she might have inherited

some money from her family.

I doubt it. She had to have

robbed a bank!You could be right.

Nosy Neighbors 2Nosy Neighbors 2

I haven’t seen the

Chins for a month.They may

have been abducted by

aliens.

Or they might be

staying with their son for a

while.

Well, they couldn’t have

gone on vacation. The

dog is still there.

Hmmm. They must have

moved to an exotic island.

Then they should be very happy.

Speculating about the PresentSpeculating about the Present

Modals speculating about the present are followed by a base form verb.

Then they shouldshould bebe very happy.

base form verb

You couldcould bebe right.

Speculating about the PastSpeculating about the Past

Modals speculating about the past are followed by the past participle.

past participle

She could have won the lottery.

She may have gotten a big raise.

ReviewReview

Modals and modal-like expressions express degrees of certainty.

Degree of Certainty

certain near certainty

near impossibility

less certain

no modal

must

have to

have got to

can’t

couldn’t

may

might

could

CertaintyCertainty

Modals and modal-like expressions express degrees of certainty. Don’t use a modal for 100% certainty.

Mrs. Carson got a raise.

The Chins went on vacation.

He had to have robbed a bank.

They must have moved to an exotic island.

Near CertaintyNear Certainty

There are several modals that express near certainty, including must have and had to have.

Near ImpossibilityNear Impossibility

There are several modals that express near certainty that something is impossible, including couldn’t have and can’t.

They just moved here.

They left all the lights on!

They couldn’t have moved away.

They can’t be out of town.

Less CertaintyLess Certainty

There are several modals that express less certainty, including may, and might.

They may have been abducted by aliens.

They might be staying with their son.

Practice 1Practice 1Use modals to suggest reasons for these classroom situations. Speculate on what might have happened.

Example: One of your classmates is late.

She must have gotten stuck in traffic. There was a big accident.

1. You smell smoke.

2. The teacher is angry.

3. The desks are shaking.

4. You can’t find your textbook.

5. The lights go out.

She ought to take us for a drive soon.

Modals speculating about the future are also followed by a base form verb. The modals should and ought to express near certainty.

Speculating about the Future 1Speculating about the Future 1

That Ferrari should last a lifetime.

Speculating about the Future 2Speculating about the Future 2

Use may, might, and could when you are less certain.

The Chins may not return.

The house might get sold.

They could move next month.

Practice 2Practice 2Use modals to express future possibilities about these present situations.

Example: We shop for food at grocery stores.

‘Smart’ kitchens might calculate what we need and order it electronically. In the future, household computers may do all our shopping.

1. Ordinary people don’t travel in space.

2. Houses are made of wood.

3. People pay for products with cash or credit cards.

4. Our fingerprints provide identification.

ReferencesReferences

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education and

its licensors. All rights reserved.