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Licinio Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

where can it be?

Is "can" the right modal verb? I'm asking because I remember "can" expresses theoretical possibility (the sea here can be rough), not probability (the sea may be rough, so be careful), but I cannot decide where this question can be classified.
What other modals can I use with varying degrees of certainty? In particular does "may" seem possibile?
Thanks.
  

Top answer

" is correct English. " are also used. " is not used, as far as I know.

— GPY

  • " is correct English.
  • " are also used.
  • " is not used, as far as I know.
  • I assume you are talking about these as complete sentences, not as part of longer sentences.
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11 Answers
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"Where can it be?" is correct English. "Where could it be?" and "Where might it be?" are also used. "Where may it be?" is not used, as far as I know.

I assume you are talking about these as complete sentences, not as part of longer sentences.
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These are all saying the same thing in anticipation of a sailing event.

The sea might be rough here.
The sea can be rough here.
The sea may be rough here.
It is possible that the sea will be rough here.
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AlpheccaStarsThese are all saying the same thing in anticipation of a sailing event.The sea might be rough here.The sea can be rough here.The sea may be rough here.It is possible that the sea will be rough here.
I think licinio means that "the sea can be rough" is talking about possibility at some/any unspecified time, and "the sea may be rough" is talking abo
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GPYI think licinio means that "the sea can be rough" is talking about possibility at some/any unspecified time, and "the sea may be rough" is talking about possibility now.
That's correct, but he also asked about other modals.
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In this context "the sea MAY be rough" "the sea MIGHT be rough"
similar phrases:
The sea "tends to be" (meaning USUALLY it is) rough.
The sea "gets rough" sometimes.
You might also say:
The sea is unpredictable...
The sea can surprise you...
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I see. Maybe it's the question form that extends the scope of "can", because I believe the answer would not be with "can", or am I wrong?

- Where can it be?
- It may/might/could be in the drawer or in the cupboard.
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licinioI see. Maybe it's the question form that extends the scope of "can", because I believe the answer would not be with "can", or am I wrong?- Where can it be?- It may/might/could be in the drawer or in the cupboard.
Right, "It can be in the cupboard" would not be a natural answer to "Where can it be?" Similarly, "Who can she be?" does not have the answer "
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hmm, I think it's important to study the difference between could and can.

- "where can it be" Correction "Where could it be?"
Note: Could is used for things that are possible.
note: Can is used for things that are "capable", "able" or "have the power to"

Ex: "CAN you sing opera?" "Yes I can." (It is fact. He is capable of singing opera.)
Ex: Where c
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GPY "Who can she be?" does not have the answer "She can be Sarah",
In fact, for interest, there is one special situation where this could be a valid answer – when she is pretending to be Sarah or acting as Sarah. For example, some people are trying to decide who will play which characters in a play, and the name of one of the characters is Sarah. This interpre
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Justin Frunk "where can it be" Correction "Where could it be?"
The reason why I asked is exactly because grammar books say as you have summarised.
However, as GPY's answer seems to suggest, maybe there is a current usage of "Where can it be?" that breaks the rules and is understood to mean exactly like "Where could it be?", i.e. probability.
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