May, might, could
Vocabulary - weather
May, might, could
These are another type of modal verb. They are added to other verbs to change the meaning.
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'Might', 'could' and 'may' change the possibility of a future event happening.
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This is from the 'going to...' lesson. We will add 'might', 'could' and 'may'.
Chance of doing 'verb'
100%
80%
70%
60%
I will eat pizza.
I am going to eat pizza.
I may eat pizza.
I might / could eat pizza.
40%
30%
20%
0%
I might / could not eat pizza.
I may not eat pizza.
I am not going to eat pizza.
I will not eat pizza.
Advanced explanation
Adding the words 'might / could / may' make completing the verb in the future less likely. There is no rule for how likely it is but it is approximately between 70-60% if the sentence is positive and 30% - 40% for a negative sentence.
May, might, could - examples
Subject + might / could / may + present form verb
The weather might rain.
It might rain.
We use the subject 'it' when talking about the weather.
It might rain tomorrow.
It could snow.
It could snow next week.
Subject + might / could / may + present form verb + adjective
It may be sunny.
It may be sunny later.
It might be windy.
It might be windy tonight.
It could be cloudy.
It could be cloudy tomorrow.
Subject + might / could / may + present form verb + noun / noun phrase
It might be a newspaper.
Here you are guessing what something might be.
I may take an umbrella.
I might study Spanish tomorrow afternoon.
Subject + might / could / may + present form verb + noun / noun phrase + purpose chunk
We might go to the cinema to watch a film.
We could buy tickets to see a football match.
'Could' or 'might' or 'may'?
What's the difference?
It might rain.
Yes
No
It could rain.
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Rain
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Sunny
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Cloudy
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Windy
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Snow
It may rain.
More likely than 'might' or 'could'.
You have two possibilities: it will rain / it won't rain. You are saying that it is about 60% likely to rain.
It might rain.
You are communicating that there are many possibilities (sunny, windy, cloudy, rain) but it is about 60% likely to rain.
It could rain.
I might eat pizza.
You are communicating that there are lots of things you could eat (pizza, hamburger, curry, spaghetti). It is 60% likely you will eat pizza.
I could eat pizza.
Could, might, may - exercises
Two options: wear a coat or don't wear a coat.
I might wear a coat.
Tomorrow I might wear a coat.
+ LOCATION CHUNK
I / coat
Answer
I might go to the bank.
Explanation
We would use 'might' here because the two options are: go the bank, or don't go. It is unusual to have a bank as one of many options.
I / bank
Answer
We could go to the cinema.
Explanation
We would use 'could' here because the cinema is one of many options (cinema, museum, cafe).
We / cinema
How many possibilities? More than two
Answer
We could stay in this hotel.
We / this hotel
How many possibilities? Two: get-up early or do not get-up early
Answer
She might get up early.
She / early
How many possibilities? Two: take the underground or do not take the underground
Answer
He might take the underground.
He / underground
Might, may, could - Negative
Subject + might / could / may + not + present form verb
On Wednesday I might not wear a t-shirt.
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On Thursday I may not go to the park.
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On Friday I might not take my umbrella.
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On Sunday I may not wear a jumper.
Could not
This is difficult because is the negative of one of many options. Naturally we would say the positive option.
Unnatural
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It could not rain.
Natural
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It could be sunny.
We can use the negative in conversation to say that the possibility could not happen:
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A: What do you want to do today?
B: We should stay at home. It could rain.
A: It could not rain.
B: If it doesn't rain, we could go to the park.
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"It could not rain." means that one of the possibilities is that it will not rain. It is said in response to a positive suggestion.
Could / Might - Questions?
Might / Could + subject + present form verb
NOTE: THERE IS NO 'MAY' IN THIS FORM
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'May + subject + present tense verb' is used to ask permission.
Might it be windy?
You're asking the person about the 'wind'. There are two possibilities: 'wind' or 'no wind'.
Could it be windy?
You're asking the person about the 'wind' but it is one of many possibilities: 'wind', 'sun', 'rain', 'cloud'.
Answer
Could it snow on Christmas Day?
Could / snow
On Christmas Day
Conversations
Tom: Where should we go tomorrow?
Jane: We could go to a theme park.
Billy: I love theme parks.
Kate: It could rain tomorrow. We could go to the Victoria and Albert museum.
Tom: It could not rain but we should go there.
Jane: What do you want for dinner?
Tom: I want to have a hamburger.
Billy: We could go to Borough Market.
Kate: It may be busy there. How about Soho?
Tom: That's a good idea.
Using it with previous learning
I want to go because it might be interesting.
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It might be interesting so I want to go.
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Because it may rain tomorrow, we should go here today.
It may rain tomorrow so we should go here today.
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I'm going to have pizza tonight so might not have pizza for lunch.
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We are going to a theme park tomorrow because it may be sunny.
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