Modals to Express

Degrees of Certainty
UNIT 5
AG1
 Do you like
History?Why?
Why not?

Yes, I do. Because ____

No, I don't. Because ____
Grammar
Presentation
Grammar
notes
 What's a speculation?

▪ In my opinion a speculation is
________
Speculations about
the present
Modals of
speculation
▪ We use these modals
to speculate based on
logic and facts.
Ex:
The story must be true
(90% certain/sure)

The story might be true

(50% certain/sure)
 Important!
▪ When we want to state a fact
(we are absolutely 100 % sure
of ) we don't use modals.
Ex:
The story is true (100 % sure) (no
modals)
 Must/ have to / have got to
▪ We use these modals to speculate
about the present and when you are
almost sure of something
Ex:
▪ The story must/ has to /has got to
be true. (90% sure)

Subj + modal +
verb in base form
 Negative Speculations
▪Use
"can't/ couldn't" to make negative spec
ulations and when you are almost sure
that something is false (impossible).

▪Ex:
▪The story can't/couldn't be true. (90%
sure that it's false)

Subj + modal
+ verb in base form
Slightly (little) less sure
▪ Use "must not" when you
are slightly (a little) less
sure of something.
Ex:
▪ The story must not be true.
(85% sure that the
story isn't true)
Subj + modal
+ verb in base form
 Note !

▪ We don't contract "must not"

Ex:
The story musn't be true.
 Modal + subj +
verb in base
form
In questions
▪ To make questions we
use "could /
couldn't"
Ex:
▪ Could the story be
true?
▪ Couldn't that be the
explanation? (in
negative)
 Subj + modal
+ verb in base form

Might/ May/
Could

• Use "might/may/could" when

youare lesscertain(sure) that
somethingistrue
Ex:
Thestorymight/may/couldbe
true. (50% sure)
 Mightnot/ maynot
The negative form of "might/may" is
"might not/may not"
Ex:

The story might not/may not be true.

(50% sure)

Subj + modal + not +

verb in base form
Be careful !

Don'tcontract" might
not/ maynot"
Ex:
Thestory mayn'tbe
true.
In questions !
Wecan use "could/ might"
in questions
Ex:

Could/mightthestorybe
true?

Modal + subj + verb in

base form
Speculations about
the past
Negative form of
must have = must Must have /had to
not have have
▪ We use these modals
when you speculate/make
a conclusion about the past
and you are almost sure.
Ex:
▪ He must have died in the
jungle.(90% sure that this
happened)

Subj + modal + have +past

participle
 Can't have/ couldn't
have
▪ We use these modals to
talk about an
impossibility/
something that we think
is false in the past)
Ex:
He can't/couldn't have died
in Egypt. (90 % convinced
that it was impossible or
false)
Subj + modal
+ have + past participle
 Must not ▪ We use "must not have" when you
have are slightly less certain.
Ex:
▪ He must not have died in Egypt.
Subj + modal + not + (85% sure)
have + past
participle
 Modal + subj + have +
past participle

Can
have/Could ▪ We can also make questions with
have in "can have/could have"
questions
Ex:
Can/Could he have died in the
jungle?
 May have/might have/ could have

▪ When you speculate about the past and

you are less certain (50 %) use "may
have/ might have / could have".
Ex:
She may have/ might have / could
have traveled to London. (50 % sure)

Modal + have + past

participle + compl
May have / might
have in negative
▪ In the negative form
use "may not have /
might not have".
Ex:
He may not have/
might not have gone to
the party.
Subj + modal + not +
have + past
participle
Might have/ Could have in questions
▪ We can also make questions
with "may have/ could
have".

Ex:
Might/ Could he have gone to
the party?
Modal + subj + have
+ past participle
Speculations about the
Future
 Subj + modal + verb in
base form

Should / ought to
▪ We use these modals (for future
speculations) when you are
almost sure about a "future
event / action" (90%)
Ex:
The bus is going fast. We should /
ought to arrive in about an hour.
(90 % sure)
 ▪ We can use these modals when you
May / Might / are less sure about a future action or to
Could talk about a future possibility (50%).
Ex:
The temperature is low. It could/may/
Subj + modal + might snow during the night. (50%)
verb in base form
 ▪ In negative we can use " may / might
+ not/never"

Ex:
▪ It may/ might not snow tonight
May / Might in or
negative
▪ It may / might never snow

Subj + modal +
not/never + verb in
base form
Detective work
 ▪ "Could have" has 2 different uses:

Ex:
▪ He could have gone to the concert, but he
didn't want to (a past opportunity)

▪ He could have gone to the concert, but I'm

Be careful ! not sure because I didn't see him there.(a
speculation/possibility in the past)
Solve the puzzles
(mysteries)make
speculations
I believe the dog might
have bitten the rope_____
Famous world mysteries
 ▪ Nazca Lines
Make
▪ Crop circles
speculationsfor
the following ▪ Stonehenge
mysteries ▪ Easter Island Statues
Video about the
▪ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kdTDBhIgmI
Easter Island
statues
Video about the ▪ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4HTnMemiqY
Stonehenge
 ▪ 1. Who must have made this?
Try toanswer the ▪ 2. How could they have made it?
questionsand make ▪ 3. Why might they have made it?
speculationsaboutthe
mysteries. Use modals. ▪ 4. What might people have used this
place for?

I believe aliens must have made the

Nazca lines because ____
Count and Non-Count Nouns
Unit 10, AG2
Grammar Presentation
 Nouns
▪ Nouns identify a person, animal,
place, thing, or idea.
Ex:
▪ Person – John started to run.
▪ Animal – The dog barked at the cat.
▪ Place – Let’s go to the beach.
▪ Thing – Throw the ball.
▪ Idea – Love is a wonderful emotion.
 ▪ A common noun is a noun that
refers to people, places or
things in GENERAL. They DON'T
Common refer
Noun to something particular/specific.
Ex:
▪ boy, country, city, girl, building.
(in general)
 ▪ A proper nouns identify a
PARTICULAR/SPECIFIC
person, place, or
thing,etc.
Proper nouns Ex:
▪ China, Dr.Fernandez ,
Albert Einstein, Lima, etc
Count Nouns

▪ "Count Nouns" are things

that we can count. They
can have a
singular/plural form.
Ex:
1 planet (singular form)
8 planets (plural form)
 ▪ We can use "a/an"
before singular count nouns.

▪ Use "a" for singular count nouns

that start with a consonant
A /an
Ex:
a tomato.
Use "an" for singular count nouns
that start with a vowel.
Ex:
an egg.
 ▪ "Non- Count Nouns" are
things that we can't count.
They usually have a
singular form not a
plural form. Don't use "a/
an or numbers" before
non-count nouns. We can
Non - use "some / the or "
Count Nouns with non –count nouns.
Ex:
▪ I want some rice, please.
▪ I don't have any water.
▪ The medicine is good.
 Important !

▪ Use "singular verbs and singular

pronouns" with (Non-count verbs).

Ex:
▪ Music relaxes people. (singular verb (-
es, -s ,-ies)

▪ It relaxes people. (we

replace "music" with singular pronoun "it")
 ▪ Abstractions : love, honesty, peace, hope,
energy
▪ Diseases : cancer, AIDS , influenza, etc
▪ Food and drinks : bread, milk , soda, fish,
meat, etc
▪ Natural phenomena : rain, sun,
Categories of electricity.
Non-count ▪ Particles : pepper, salt, sugar, sand.
nouns
▪ Others: furniture, equipment, money,
traffic, news.
 ▪ Some nouns have a "count and
non-count" meaning.
Note !
Ex:
▪ Experience is important to get a
job. (non-count)
▪ The trip was a wonderful
experience. (count-noun)
moment

Other example:
▪ We eat fish all the time. (non-
count when it refers to food)
▪ I went fishing yesterday and I
caught a fish. (count noun when
 Important!
We can make some "non count
noun" countable using phrases
or expressions.
Ex:
▪ We need furniture for our
new apartment. (in
general/plural) (non-count)

▪ We need a piece of furniture

for our apartment. (specific
and only 1) (count)
Important !
We can use "some / any
with non-count nouns" but
it's more informal. If you
want to be more formal you
can use the phrases or
expressions.
Informal
Ex:
I need some advice

Formal
Ex:
I need a piece of advice.
 ▪ We can use "non-count nouns" with
"a/an" or plural with –s, -es when we
refer to "a new type/ kind/variety of"
Ex:
▪ In Italy, I ate a new pasta. (type of pasta)

Exceptions !
or
That store sells different teas. (type of
tea)
Non-count nouns that finish in –s (irregular nouns)

▪ There are some "non-count

nouns" that finish in –s

Ex:
▪ Mathematics, economics,
news.
 ▪ Nouns that are normally plural
Ex:
▪ People are funny. (plural irregular)
not
▪ People is funny.
Irregular
plurals with
count nouns Other example:
▪ The police are coming (plural irregular)
not
▪ The police is coming.
 Remember !

• If we want to change "people/ police" in

singular. We use "person or police officer
".
• Ex:
• He is a good person. (singular)
• My father is a police officer. (singular)
Questionnaire
 In general.. Would you say you
are a healthy person? Why? Why
not?

I would say that _______

Report ! What are the things that you and

your partner have in common?

We both _______
 Game
Identify if the nouns are count or non-count
1. ▪ His latest novel is a work in progress
 ▪ My favorite dinner is fried chicken
2.
3. ▪ We saw an interesting film.
 ▪ I love eating rice.
4.
5. ▪ My teacher is giving a talk tonight.
6. ▪ We ate chicken for lunch.