2

Modals to Express
Degrees of Certainty

Nosy Neighbors

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

Nosy Neighbors 1
Honey, how can
Mrs. Carson afford
a Ferrari? Isnt she
a teacher?

Well, she might

have inherited
some money from
her family.

I suppose. Or she
could have won
the lottery.

Who knows?
She may have
gotten a big
raise at work.

I doubt it. She

had to have
robbed a bank!

You could
be right.

Nosy Neighbors 2
I havent
seen the
Chins for a
month.

Well, they
couldnt have
gone on
vacation. The
dog is still there.

They may
have been
abducted by
aliens.
Hmmm. They
must have
moved to an
exotic island.

Then they
should be
very happy.

Or they
might be
staying with
their son for
a while.

Speculating about the Present

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

You could be right.

base form verb

Then they should be very happy.

Speculating about the Past

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

She could have won the lottery.

past
participle

She may have gotten a big raise.

Review
Modals and modal-like expressions express
degrees of certainty.
Degree of Certainty
certain near
certainty

near
less
impossibility certain

no
modal

cant
couldnt

must
have to
have got to

may
might
could

Certainty
Modals and modal-like expressions express degrees
of certainty. Dont use a modal for 100% certainty.

The Chins went on vacation.

Mrs. Carson got a raise.

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

They must have moved to

an exotic island.

He had to have robbed a

bank.

Near Impossibility
There are several modals that express near certainty
that something is impossible, including couldnt have
and cant.

They couldnt have moved away.

They just
moved here.

They cant be out of town.

They left all the
lights on!

Less 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 1
Example:

Use modals to suggest reasons for

these classroom situations. Speculate
on what might have happened.

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 cant find your textbook.
5. The lights go out.

Speculating about the Future 1

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

That Ferrari should last a lifetime.

She ought to take us for a drive soon.

Speculating 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 2

Use 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 dont travel in space.

2. Houses are made of wood.

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

4. Our fingerprints provide identification.

References

Copyright 2006 Pearson Education and

its licensors. All rights reserved.