Dictionaries TOEIC TOEFL GMAT SAT GRE MCAT PCAT ASVAB Interviews

Tests Grammar Articles Stories Shop Services English for winners Speaking

Home Top 100 Start your FREE email English course now! Audio Lessons Jobs

Username
Password
Remember me?

Search FAQ Memberlist Profile Private messages Register Log in

Difference between may, would, might, could

1772 English Language Exercises

Printable, photocopiable, clearly structured
Designed for teachers and individual learners
For use in a classroom, at home, on your PC

ESL Forum | English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms

'Near perfect' or 'Nearly perfect' | Bacon's quotation: Certainly virtue is like precious odors

Listening exercises

Message

Author

#1 (permalink) Wed Aug 16, 2006 10:51 am Difference between may, would, might, could

hello every body Could someone explain the difference in the follwing sentences with one exapmles (if patience permitting) he may come he may have come he would come he would have come he might come he could come he could have come

Smart
I'm new here and I like it ;-)

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 18

#2 (permalink) Wed Aug 16, 2006 16:22 pm Modals

Hi Smart,

You asked:

Quote:

Could someone explain the difference in the follwing sentences with one examples (if patience permitting)
he may come
he may have come
he would come
he would have come
he might come
he could come
he could have come

He may come suggests there is a possibilty that he will come

as in: We have invited him to the party but it's not definite that he will come but he may come.

He may have come suggests that in the past it was possible that he came as in:

I'm not sure whether he came to the house while we were out but he may have come and then gone home.

He would come is part of a conditional as in:

He would come if he had the time but I think he's too busy at the moment.

He would have come is a perfect conditional as in:

He would have come to the party if he had found the time but he worked very late and so it wasn't possible.

He might come suggests there is a possibility that he will come but it's less likely than 'may' as in:

Don't give up hope of him coming. You never know he might come in the end.

He could come is another conditional in the sense of he would be able to as in:

He could come if he wanted to but I don't honestly think he's interested.

He could have come is the perfect conditional form of 'can' as in:

He could have come if he had wanted to but as I said I don't really think he was all that interested.

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Word Story: Search Engines

Alan
Co-founder

Alan Townend

Joined: 27 Sep 2003
Posts: 9209
Location: UK

Are you a native speaker of English? Then you should read this!

English grammar exercises — improve your English knowledge and vocabulary skills

Here is all you want to know about English! Click to subscribe to free email English course

Learn all about English adverbs in this amusing story

#3 (permalink) Sat Aug 19, 2006 7:28 am Difference between may, would, might, could

thank you so much Mr:Alan it was very clear and simple explainiation.

Smart
I'm new here and I like it ;-)

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 18

Display posts from previous:

'Near perfect' or 'Nearly perfect' | Bacon's quotation: Certainly virtue is like precious odors

	ESL Forum \| English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms	All times are GMT + 1 Hour
Page 1 of 1

Latest topics on English Forums

Start FREE email English course now!
Join more than 100,000 learners!

Meaning of "different from/than/to" • Meaning of "should" • Talk vs speak • Blackguard as verb? (don't swear vs. don't curse) • In true letter and spirit • Pressure versus Tension • 'Few', 'A few', 'Many' etc! • If ever there was a decision... • Can we stand on the same site? • Quoted speech • A good many students... • Be it ever so humble, there is... • After a few attempts to completing the letter... • Synonyms for quit • Expression "From within" • Verb "to organize" • She was about five-and-twenty • With versus What with • Difference between may, would, might, could

Discover English-test.net
Hi everyone and I hope to improve my English with your help • Difference between other and another • Expression: 'She reported (his) having seen the gunman.' • Malaysian children conversing in English. • Which one to buy? • TOEIC test: Vocabulary Words: English Verb Noun Adjective • TOEIC test: Word games: Free Online Verb Noun Adjective Game • Meaning of brake, complicate, division, nominate, aware, applicant, cognition • Pimsleur French, Comprehensive Courses I, II, III: Plus Audiofy Player (Bookchip Player Solutions) • Information on verb groups and modal verbs: Eating Out • English writing and grammar: Idioms with the phrasal verb knock • Elephant audio books, CDs, tapes, used cassettes, audio download

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

Provided by phpBB ©2001-2009 phpBB Group

Subscribe to FREE email English course

First name

E-mail