May/Might is used instead of an adverb clause of concession. – He trusted (hoped) that we might find the plan to our satisfaction. – I trust (hope) that you may find this plan to your satisfaction. May/Might is used in clauses following the verbs hope and trust. Used in exclamation sentences, May/Might expresses a wish (In this usage, May can be seen as a kind of Subjunctive) – He admitted that the news might be true. May/Might is used to describing a possibility that may or may not happen. – She asked if she might go to the party.
May and the past form Might express permission. – I finished my work early and so was able to go to the pub with my friends. If the statement implies success in doing (succeeded in doing), then Was/Were able to be used, not Could.– The window was locked, and I couldn’t open it. – Huy hurt his foot, and he couldn’t play in the match. If the action describes an ability, a knowledge, Could is used more often than Was/Were able to.– I could do the job today, but I’d rather put it off until tomorrow. – His story could be true, but I hardly think it is. – Could you tell me the right time, please?Ĭould is used to express a mild distrust or protest. – Can you change a 20-dollar note for me, please? In informal terms, Could is seen as more polite than Can. CouldĬould is also be used in conditional sentences. – Listen! I think I can hear the sound of the sea. When used with the verb of perception, Can give the same meaning as the Continuous Tense. – It surely can’t be four o’clock already!Ĭan not is used to express a virtual impossibility. In questions and exclamations, Can means ‘Is it possible…?’ – In London buses, you can smoke on the upper deck, but you can’t smoke downstairs.Ĭan also express a possibility. In everyday speech, Can is used instead of May to express permission, and the negative Cannot is used to express a prohibition. – She could ride a bicycle when she was five years old. Can also be used as an auxiliary verb to form certain expressions.Ĭan and Could mean “can”, expressing a possibility (ability) In other forms, we use the equivalent verb “be able to”. Can have only 2 tenses: Present and Simple Past.
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