Possibilities & Speculation
When we're not 100% sure about something, we use words like may, might, and could.
Answer these questions (use: might, may, could):
How certain are you? Click each level to learn!
WILL
CertainPROBABLY
LikelyMAY/MIGHT
PossibleMIGHT
UnlikelyTalk about possibilities in your life:
Click on each example to see the explanation!
Discuss with your teacher:
Look at these three sentences. What's the difference?
Hint: They're all similar, but the certainty level is slightly different...
| Modal | Certainty | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| may | 50% - Possible | Formal possibility | "She may arrive late." |
| might | 30-50% - Less certain | Slightly less certain | "I might go to the party." |
| could | Any possibility | Theoretical possibility | "That could be true." |
| will | 100% - Certain | Definite future | "I will be there at 6pm." |
| Present/Future | Past |
|---|---|
| "She may be at home." | "She may have gone home." |
| "He might know the answer." | "He might have forgotten." |
| "They could arrive soon." | "They could have arrived already." |
1. "I'm not sure, but Sarah be at the office."
2. "Where's Tom?" "He left already. I saw his coat was gone."
3. " I use your phone?" (Very polite request)
4. "I not go to the party. I'm feeling tired."
5. "It's raining. They taken an umbrella."
Look at each mystery and speculate about what happened. Use may have, might have, could have!
Clues: The office door is open, the computer is still on, but nobody is there. There's a half-drunk coffee on the desk.
Clues: Your friend had their phone at lunch. Now it's gone. You checked the restaurant but didn't find it.
Clues: Maria is always on time, but today she's 2 hours late to class. She's not answering her phone.
Clues: You come home and find your window broken. There's a soccer ball on your floor, but no note or message.
Create a mysterious situation and your teacher will speculate about it!
Think of: A strange situation, weird clues, possible explanations
What might happen in the future? Click each topic to discuss!
In 10 years...
In 20 years...
Next year...
In 50 years...
In the future...
Someday...
Click for a random "What if?" scenario!
Click the button to get a "What if?" scenario!
Discuss what you might do this weekend:
Look at these scenarios and speculate about what's happening!
A man in a suit is looking at his phone with a worried expression.
Speculate: What might be happening?
A student is smiling while holding a piece of paper, surrounded by books.
Speculate: Why is she happy?
Someone is standing outside a house, searching through their pockets.
Speculate: What's the problem?
Think of an interesting situation or picture and describe it. Your teacher will speculate!
Include: People, actions, emotions, mysterious details
| Modal | Meaning | Example (Present/Future) | Example (Past) |
|---|---|---|---|
| may | 50% possibility (formal) |
"It may rain." | "It may have rained." |
| might | 30-50% possibility (less certain) |
"I might go." | "I might have gone." |
| could | Theoretical possibility | "That could work." | "That could have worked." |
| will | 100% certain | "I will be there." | — |
❌ WRONG: "He may left already."
✅ RIGHT: "He may have left already." (may + have + past participle)
❌ WRONG: "It might to rain tomorrow."
✅ RIGHT: "It might rain tomorrow." (no "to"!)
❌ WRONG: "She could has done it."
✅ RIGHT: "She could have done it." (could + have + past participle)
In modern English, may and might are almost the same! The difference is very small:
Make predictions about the future! Talk for 3 minutes about:
Check your student review document for:
Next lesson: Lesson 14 - Zero & First Conditional
You'll learn to talk about real situations and their results!