DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MAY AND MIGHT

May and might are both ways of expressing possibility. Is there a difference between the ways in which they should be used?

 Some people insist that you should use May (present tense) when talking about a current situation and might (past tense) when talking about an event that happened in the past.

 For example:

·         I may go home early if I’m tired. (present tense)

·         He might have visited Italy before settling in Nuremberg. (past tense)

In practice, this distinction is rarely made today and the two words are generally interchangeable:

·         I might go home early if I’m tired.

·         He may have visited Italy before settling in Nuremberg.

But there is a distinction between may have and might have in certain contexts. If the truth of a situation is still not known at the time of speaking or writing, either of the two is acceptable:

• ·         By the time you read this, he may have made his decision.
• ·         I think that comment might have offended some people.

 If the event or situation referred to did not in fact occur, it's better to use might have:

·         The draw against Italy might have been a turning point, but it didn't turn out like that.

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/may-or-might

MODAL VERB MIGHT

"Might" is most commonly used to express possibility. It is also often used in conditional sentences. English speakers can also use "might" to make suggestions or requests, although this is less common in American English.

EXAMPLES:

POSSIBILITY

• Your purse might be in the living room. 
• She might visit the hospital tomorrow.

CONDITIONAL

• If I didn't have to work, I might go with you.
• If I did not go to work , I might lose my job.

SUGGESTION

• You might visit the botanical gardens during your visit.
• You might spend your vacation in my farm.

REQUEST

• Might I borrow your pen?
• Might we speak to you for a moment?
• Might I give you a piece of advise?

CAN VS BE ABLE TO

CAN: is a modal verb. We can not use in all tenses. It express ability, polite request, possibility, opportunity, and permission.

BE ABLE TO: is not a modal verb. We can use with all tenses. it express ability.

EXAMPLES:

I can sing. (I am a profesional singer)
I am able to sing.(I am a professional singer.I have to sing in a concert in that moment I lost my voice and I do not sing at the moment however I am able to to sing and the end  )

EXAMPLES WITH SHOULD AND MUST

SHOULD

RECOMENDATION

• People with high cholesterol should eat low - fat foods.
• Carla sahould go home becase she look very bad.

OBLIGATION

• You should come back home at 20:00 pm.
• You should buy a methodology book.
• you should be in the office by 8:00 am.

EXPECTATION

• Mery should be at home by next week her new job starts on Monday.
• Rita is not in class. She should be very sick.

ADVICE

• You look very sick. You should go to the doctor.
• You have cero in the test. You should study very hard.
• You should focus in your family and less on work. 

MUST

PROHIBITION

• You must not smoke here because there are children.
• You must not swin in that river. It is full of crocodiles.

STRONG RECOMMENDATION

• You must take some time off and get some rest.
• You must not drink alcohol because you have cirrhosis.

EXAMPLES WITH COULD

POSSIBILITY

• Peter could be the best player this year..
• Andrea could study english the next month.
• I could be in your home tomorrow.

CONDITIONAL

• If I had enough money,I could buy a new car.
• If I had enough time today, I could do the grammar homework.

SUGGESTION

• You could spend your vacation in Salinas beach.
• You could read this book because it is very interesting.

PAST ABILITY

• I could dance romantic music when I was a child.
• My grandfather could speak two language when he was a teenager.
• My friend could play soccer when he was a kid.

POLITE REQUEST

• Could I have something to drink?
• Could I open the door, please?
• Could I borrow your dictionary?

EXAMPLES WITH CAN

ABILITY

• I can play the guitar.
• I can play basketball.
• I can sing romantic music.

REQUEST AND AND ORDERS

• Can you open the door, please?
• Can you prepare the lunch?

PERMISSION

• Can I smoke in this room?
• Can I read this book?

POSSIBILITY

• Anyone can become rich and famous if they know the right people.

SHOULD AND MUST

Should and Must

Should

"Should" is most commonly used to make recommendations or give advice. It can also be used to express obligation as well as expectation.

Examples:

• When you go to Berlin, you should visit the palaces in Potsdam. recommendation
• You should focus more on your family and less on work. advice
• I really should be in the office by 7:00 AM. obligation
• By now, they should already be in Dubai. expectation

Using "Should" in Present, Past, and Future

Most modal verbs behave quite irregularly in the past and the future. Study the chart below to learn how "should" behaves in different contexts.

Modal Use	Positive Forms 1. = Present   2. = Past   3. = Future	Negative Forms 1. = Present   2. = Past   3. = Future	You can also use:
should recommendation, advisability	1. People with high cholesterol should eat low-fat foods. 2. Frank should have eaten low-fat foods. That might have prevented his heart attack. 3. You really should start eating better.	1. Sarah shouldn't smoke so much. It's not good for her health. 2. Sarah shouldn't have smoked so much. That's what caused her health problems. 3. Sarah shouldn't smoke when she visits Martha next week. Martha hates when people smoke in her house.	ought to
should obligation	I should be at work before 9:00. We should return the video before the video rental store closes. "Should" can also express something between recommendation and obligation. "Be supposed to" expresses a similar idea and can easily be used in the past or in negative forms.	NO NEGATIVE FORMS	be supposed to
should expectation	1. Susan should be in New York by now.  2. Susan should have arrived in New York last week. Let's call her and see what she is up to. 3. Susan should be in New York by next week. Her new job starts on Monday.	1. Susan shouldn't be in New York yet. 2. Susan shouldn't have arrived in New York until yesterday. 3. Susan shouldn't arrive in New York until next week.	ought to, be supposed to

You can find this information here: http://www.englishpage.com/modals/should.html

Must

"Must" is most commonly used to express certainty. It can also be used to express necessity or strong recommendation, although native speakers prefer the more flexible form "have to." "Must not" can be used to prohibit actions, but this sounds very severe; speakers prefer to use softer modal verbs such as "should not" or "ought not" to dissuade rather than prohibit.

Examples:

• This must be the right address! certainty
• Students must pass an entrance examination to study at this school. necessity
• You must take some medicine for that cough. strong recommendation
• Jenny, you must not play in the street! prohibition

Using "Must" in Present, Past, and Future

Most modal verbs behave quite irregularly in the past and the future. Study the chart below to learn how "must" behaves in different contexts.

Modal Use	Positive Forms 1. = Present   2. = Past   3. = Future	Negative Forms 1. = Present   2. = Past   3. = Future	You can also use:
must certainty	1. That must be Jerry. They said he was tall with bright red hair. 2. That must have been the right restaurant. There are no other restaurants on this street. 3. NO FUTURE FORM	1. That must not be Jerry. He is supposed to have red hair. 2. That must not have been the right restaurant. I guess there is another one around here somewhere. 3. NO FUTURE FORM	have to
must not prohibition		You must not swim in that river. It's full of crocodiles. You must not forget to take your malaria medication while your are in the tropics. Prohibition usually refer to the near future.
must strong recommendation (Americans prefer the form "should.")	1. You must take some time off and get some rest. 2. SHIFT TO "SHOULD" You should have taken some time off last week to get some rest.  3. SHIFT TO "SHOULD" You should take some time off next week to get some rest.	1. You mustn't drink so much. It's not good for your health. 2. SHIFT TO "SHOULD" You shouldn't have drunk so much. That caused the accident. 3. SHIFT TO "SHOULD" You shouldn't drink at the party. You are going to be the designated driver.	should
must necessity (Americans prefer the form "have to.")	1. You must have a permit to enter the national park. 2. SHIFT TO "HAVE TO" We had to have a permit to enter the park. 3. We must get a permit to enter the park next week.	1. SHIFT TO "HAVE TO" We don't have to get a permit to enter the national park. 2. SHIFT TO "HAVE TO" We didn't have to get a permit to enter the national park. 3. SHIFT TO "HAVE TO" We won't have to get a permit to enter the national park.	have to

You can find this information: http://www.englishpage.com/modals/must.html