May Might Could

1. Could

2. COULD
 Ability
 I could speak China when I was seven.
 Could you swim when you was nine?
 She couldn’t get a job anywhere.

3. COULD
 Possibility
 This team has good performance this
season. They could be a champion.
 You should take an umbrella, it could rain
later.
 Mary couldn't be the one who stole the
money.

4. COULD
 Request
 Could you please open the window?
 Could you give me a ruler, please?

5. May

6. May
 For suggest something will happen
- There may not be many people there.
- We may be late for the meeting.
 Use may to suggest situation that happen in
the past
- May / Might + have + V.3 (Past Participle)
- She may have gone out when I phoned her

7. May
 use may not for a refusal it is emphatic
- You may not borrow the car until you can be
more careful with it.
 to make polite requests or ask for permission
- May I borrow the car tomorrow?
- May we come a bit later?
- May I ask you a few question?

8. Can or May ?
 When you ask for a permission….
 Can I ask you a few questions? wrong
 May I ask you a few questions?
 Can should only be used in expression to do
with ability.

9. Might
 More usual than may
When we are not sure about something.
Structure: S + might(not) + infinitive/V.ing
Examples:
- I might not be there tomorrow.
- It might rain today.

10. Might
 Use might to suggest small possibility.
- We might have a party next week.
 As the past tense of may for requests
Example:
- She asked if she might borrow the pen.
 As the conditional of may
Example:
- If I entered the contest, I might win.

11. Might
 For permission
Examples:
- Might I sit here?
- Might I ask you a question?

12. Might
 Might not
 It suggests you don’t know if something
happens.
 Example:
- She might not be at the school today.