Can, Could; May, Might; Will, Shall

Question

How do you use it? When do you use it?Can, Could; May, Might; Will, Shall

Gigilian Nguyen · Accepted Answer

Can
To express ability

Can is used to express present or general ability.

I can swim.
She can knit.
We can speak English.
Can you speak French?
She can draw beautiful pictures.

To give permission

Can is sometimes used in the sense of may to give permission. Note that many people consider this usage incorrect and prefer using may.

You can take one of those books. (More correct: You may take one of those books.)
She can do whatever she wants. (More correct: She may do whatever she wants.)
You can go now. (More correct: You may go now.)

Now-a-days can is also being increasingly used to ask permission.

While this practice is common grammarians still insist on using may for asking and giving permission.

Can I come in, Sir? (More correct: May I come in, Sir?)
Can I go to the pictures, Mom? (More correct: May I go to the pictures, Mom?)

Could

In indirect speech

Could is the past tense form of can in indirect speech.

Direct speech: She said, “I can’t climb up the hill.”
Indirect speech: She said that she couldn’t climb up the hill.
He said, “I can solve the problem.”
He said that he could solve the problem.

To talk about past ability

Could is used to talk about ability that existed in the past.

In my younger days I could run miles at a stretch.
I could swim across that river when I was young.
She could read when she was three.
Why couldn’t you finish the work in time?

Note that could refers to past time only when the context makes the time clear.

To talk about possibility or uncertainty

Could is used to talk about possibility or uncertainty. It is also common in conditional sentences.

You could win, if you worked hard. (Possibility)
She could pass if she studied hard. (Possibility)
I could have helped him if he had asked me.
If I had the money I could buy a car.

In polite requests

Could is often used in questions expressing polite requests.

Could you wait for a minute?
Could I lend your bicycle for a day?
Could you, please, take me to the manager?
Could I have a cup of coffee?

May

To express permission

May is used to ask and give permission.

May I come in, Sir?
Yes, you may.
May I go now?
No, you may not.

Note that can is also used to express permission. And now-a-days the denial of permission is often expressed by cannot, and not may not.

May we play tennis, Mummy?
No, you can’t. (More common than No, you mayn’t.)

This usage is encouraged by the fact that the contraction can’t is easier to say thanmayn’t.

To express possibility

May can be used to express possibility.

She may or may not agree with me.
He may come.
She may be elected President of the club.

Notes:

Can is also used to express possibility, but the usage is different. While can expresses theoretical possibility, may is used to indicate factual possibility.

Compare:
Accidents can happen any time. (Theoretical possibility: It is possible for accidents to happen any time.)
He may soon have an accident if he continues to drive carelessly. (Factual possibility: He doesn’t drive carefully, so it is factually possible for him to have an accident.)
This road can be blocked. (It is possible to block this road. In fact, any road can be blocked.)
This road may be blocked today due to the procession. (Factual possibility)

To express a wish

May is used in expressing a wish.

May his soul rest in peace!
May *** bless you!

To express purpose

May is used in subordinate clauses that express purpose.

Use fertilizers so that you may have a rich harvest.
Work hard that you may pass.
Eat that you may live.

Might

Indirect speech

Might is the past tense of may in indirect speech.

He said, “I may come.”
He said that he might come.
The boy said, “I may have done so.”
The boy said that he might have done so.

To express possibility

Might is often used to express possibility. Note that might expresses less possibility thanmay.

Compare:
I may pass. (50% chance)
I might pass. (20% chance)
The patient may recover. (It is possible for the patient to recover.)
The patient might recover. (It is possible but very unlikely.)

About Will/Shall I don't know very well:

Will is a modal verb used to indicate future time. For example:
- It will be sunny tomorrow.
- The new restaurant will open next week.

Will comes after the subject and before the main verb, and in questions the subject and will invert. Will often contracts to 'll, for example he'll, they'll, and in negatives will not often contracts to won't.

Usage

Will is used for future predictions and facts. For example:
- We'll finish it by tonight.
- We have a lot of time. We won't be late.
- "Where will you go next year?" "I'll go to America."

Will is also used to make a spontaneous response. For example:
Offer: - "The telephone's ringing." "I'll answer it."
Promise: - "I'll never leave you" - "I'll give it to you tomorrow morning."
Request: - "Will you wait for me this evening?"
Will for requests is quite strong and often used when the expected answer is "Yes". Otherwise can is more polite: "Can you wait for me this evening?"
Threat: - "You'll be sorry!"
Order: - "You will not eat my chocolate-chip cookies!"

Shall

Shall is used with only I and we to make questions. For example:
"Shall I open the window?"

It can also be used to make statements, but this is formal and old-fashioned.
"We shall arrive at 6.00."

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Anyway, hope it helps

Moongazer · Answer

Thanks for the thorough explanation ^_^

Anonymous · Answer

It is very helpful to me.this is ample information to me.

thank you very much

Can, Could; May, Might; Will, Shall

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