| 词组 | chances may might and could |
| 释义 | Contents overview chances : may , might and couldchances: may, might, couldchances: may, might, could may, might, could 711031871 chances: may, might and could1You may be right; We may go climbing.We often use may, might and could to talk about the chance (possibility) that something will happen, or is happening.We may go climbing in the Alps next summer.'I think Labour are going to win.''You may be right.'Daniel might phone. If he does, ask him to ring later.'Where's Emma?''I don't know. She might be out running, I suppose.'They've agreed, but they could change their minds.May well, might well and could well suggest stronger possibilities.'I think it's going to rain.''You may well be right – the sky's really black.'Can is not normally used to talk about the chance that something will happen or is happening.not It can rain this afternoon.not Emma can be out running.2may, might and could: the differenceMight and could are not often used as past forms of may and can: more often they are used to talk about the present or future. Might and could are less definite or more hesitant than may, suggesting a smaller chance – they are used when people think something is possible but not very likely. Compare:I may go to London tomorrow. (perhaps a 50% chance)Joe might come with me. (perhaps a 30% chance)3questions: may not usedMay is not normally used to ask about the chance of something happening.Are you likely to go camping this summer? (not May you go camping …?)Has Emma gone running, I wonder? (not May Emma have gone running?)But may is possible in indirect questions (for example after Do you think).Do you think you may go camping this summer?Might can be used in direct questions, but this is rather formal.Might you go camping? (less natural than Do you think you may/might …?)4two negatives: may/might not and can'tThere are two ways to make may/might negative: with may/might not (= It is possible that … not …) and with can't (= It is not possible that …) Compare:–She may be at home. (= Perhaps she is at home.)She may not be at home. (= Perhaps she is not at home.)She can't be at home. (= She is certainly not at home.)–You might win. (= Perhaps you will win.)You might not win. (= Perhaps you won't win.)You can't win. (= You certainly won't win.)Couldn't is possible with the same meaning as can't, but is less common.5might meaning 'would perhaps'Might and could (but not may) can have a conditional meaning (= would perhaps).Don't play with knives. You might/could get hurt. (= Perhaps you would get hurt.)If you went to bed for an hour, you might feel better. (= … perhaps you would feel better.)6indirect speech: might/couldMight/could is used in past indirect speech when may was used in direct speech.'I may go to Scotland.''What?''I said I might go to Scotland.'7past: might/could + infinitive not usedMight/could + infinitive is not normally used to talk about past possibility (except in indirect speech).I felt very hot and tired. Perhaps I was ill. (not … I might be ill.)but I thought I might be ill.8may/might/could have …: She may have missed her train.However, to say that it is possible that something happened or was true in the past, we can use may/might/could have + past participle.'Polly's very late.''She may have missed her train.' (= It is possible that she missed …)'What was that noise?''It might/could have been a cat.'May/might have … can sometimes refer to the present or future.I'll try phoning him, but he may have gone out by now.By the end of this year I might have saved some money.9might/could have …: You might/could have killed yourself.To say that something was possible but did not happen, we can use might/could have …You were stupid to try climbing up there. You might/could have killed yourself.If she hadn't been so bad-tempered, I might/could have married her.May have … is now sometimes used with this meaning too; some people feel that this is not correct.You were stupid to try climbing up there. You may have killed yourself. (More normal: … You might/could have killed yourself.)For might/could have … used to criticise people for not doing things, 80.3.10the difference between may/might/could and should/ought toWe use should and ought to to express a deduction that something is probable: they suggest that we have a good reason for this belief.May, might and could simply say that something is possible, without suggesting that we have a good reason for thinking it is true or will happen. Compare:–Anna should be in the office now – it's ten o'clock.Dan may be in the office now – I don't know what time he starts work. –I've got all John's keys here. One of them ought to open the safe.Let's ask Amy. She might know which is the right one. It's worth a try.PreviousNext |
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