1. Modals: may, might, can, could
UNIT 4
Modals: may, might, can, could

2. Modal verbs: Give an indication of the speaker’s attitude
Can indicate degrees of certainty, uncertainty, etc.

3. Ability Can expresses ability in the present; could in the past
Talk about an achievement and to express that someone was succesful:
Was/were able to
Managed to + infinitive
Succeeded in + verb + ing

4. Permission
Can to express permission; cannot/can’t to express prohibition
May: sometimes used to express permition/prohibition in a formal way

5. Request, suggestions and polite orders
Can/could: to make offers, requests, and give polite orders
Might: to request permission in a polite way

6. Possibility and probability
May, might and could are used to speculate about the possibility of events
May, might and could + have + past participle
To speculate in the past
To talk about possibilities in the past that did not happen

7. Cannot/can’t: to express negative certainty based on evidence
Cannot/can’t + have + past participle: to express negative certainty in the past
Can and could: used to talk about theoretical possibility
May, might and could + be + verb + -ing: to speculate about events in the present/future