CAN
Expressing Ability: “She can solve complex math problems effortlessly.”
- This sentence shows that someone has the ability or skill to do something.
Asking for Permission: “Can I leave the table?”
- Here, “can” is used to ask for permission to do something.
Making Requests: “Can you pass me the salt, please?”
- In this instance, “can” is used to politely request someone to do something.
Offering Help or Services: “We can help you move on Saturday.”
- This sentence offers assistance or service, indicating the speaker’s ability to help.
Expressing Possibility: “It can get very cold in the desert at night.”
- “Can” is used here to indicate that something is possible.
These sentences show the versatility of “can” in expressing abilities, asking for permission, making requests, offering help, and discussing possibilities.
COULD
Past Ability: When referring to an ability someone had in the past but not necessarily now.
- “When I was younger, I could run a mile in under six minutes.”
Polite Requests: To ask for something politely.
- “Could you please pass the salt?”
Possibility or Uncertainty: To suggest something is possible or to express uncertainty.
- “It could rain later today, so you might want to bring an umbrella.”
Conditional Situations: In conditional sentences, indicating a possibility under certain conditions.
- “If I saved enough money, I could travel to Japan next year.”
Offer or Suggestion: To offer to do something or suggest an action.
- “We could see a movie tonight if you’re interested.”
Permission: To ask for or give permission in a polite way, although this is less common in modern English, with “can” often being used instead.
- “Could I leave early today?”
Speculation: To speculate about the past when considering what might have happened.
- “He could have taken the earlier train to avoid being late.”
Refusal in the Past: When talking about something that was not possible or someone refused to do in the past.
- “I couldn’t convince her to stay, no matter how hard I tried.”
MAY
The modal verb “may” is used in English to express several different ideas, including permission, possibility, or to make a polite request. Let’s look at examples for each of these uses:
Permission:
- Asking for permission: “May I leave the table?”
- Giving permission: “You may go to the party after you finish your homework.”
Possibility:
- Expressing a possibility: “It may rain later today.”
- Indicating a future possibility: “We may visit France next summer if we save enough money.”
Polite Request:
- Making a polite request: “May I have the salt, please?”
Each of these examples demonstrates how “may” can be used in different contexts to express permission, possibility, or make polite requests. The choice between “may” and other modal verbs like “can” or “might” often depends on the level of formality and the specific nuance the speaker wants to convey. “May” is generally considered more formal or polite than “can,” especially when asking for permission or making requests.