Modal Verbs of Possibility: Examples for School Homework
"Complete the sentences using 'might,' 'could,' or 'may' appropriately."
It _____ rain tomorrow, so you should bring an umbrella.
Sarah _____ be at home, but I'm not sure.
Do you have any suggestions to guide them through this?
Hello, and thank you for your excellent question. This is quite an interesting one, as these three words can sometimes be used interchangeably. However, here is an example I found that may be of help:
1. The restaurant may close - It is likely that the restaurant will close.
2. The restaurant could close - It is less likely that the restaurant will close.
3. The restaurant might close - There is only a possibility that the restaurant will close, but no one is very sure.
Based on these three examples, I would suggest the following answers to the examples you gave:
1. It may rain tomorrow, so you should bring an umbrella - there is likely that it is going to rain.
2. Sarah might be at home, but I'm not sure - there is only a possibility that Sarah is at home.
I hope that this explanations gives you some insight into when to use which modal verb.
