May – might to denote possibility

‘May’ and ‘might’ often have a similar meaning when we talk about possibility. We prefer ‘may’ in academic or formal language to talk about the characteristics or behaviour of something: The seeds from the plant may grow up to 20 centimetres in length. In speech we prefer ‘might’ to say what we will possibly do in the future: I might paint the kitchen purple.

We don’t use ‘may’ to ask questions about the possibility of something happening. Instead we use ‘could(n’t)’ or the phrase ‘be likely’: Could it be that you don’t want to leave? Are you likely to be in Spain this summer?

Note that we can use ‘may’ in formally asking for permission and offering help: May I leave now? May I help you?

‘Might + bare infinitive’ is used to talk about what was typically the case on the past. This is a formal or a literary use: During the war, the police might arrest you for criticizing the king.

We can also use ‘could + bare infinitive’ in examples like this to talk about past ability: During the war, the police could arrest you …’ (= the police were legally able to arrest you).

When we say that a person or thing compensates to some extent for a limitation or weakness by having another characteristic, we can use a pattern with ‘may / might not + bare infinitive … but …’ or ‘may / might not have + past participle … but …’: The painting may not be a masterpiece, but the colours are striking. She might not have danced very gracefully, but she had a lot of energy.

We can use ‘may / might have been + -ing’ to talk about possible situations or activities that went on over a period of past time: David didn’t know where the ball was, but he thought his sister might have been playing with it before she left for school.

 

Might as well / may as well

Study this example:

Helen and Clare have just missed the bus. The buses run every hour.

H: What shall we do? Shall we walk? – C: We might as well. It’s a nice day and I don’t want to wait here for an hour.

We might as well do something. = We should do something because there is nothing better to do and there is no reason not to do it.

 

‘Can’ and ‘May’ Compared

The use of ‘can’ and ‘may’ is parallel only in two meanings: possibility due to circumstances and permission. In these meanings, however, they are not always interchangeable for a number of various reasons.

1) Thus in the meaning of possibility due to circumstances the use of the modal verb ‘may’ is restricted only to affirmative sentences, whereas ‘can’ is used in all kinds of sentences.

He may find this book at the library. He can (can’t) find this book at the library. Can he find this book at the library?

Their time reference is different as well. ‘May’ refers only to the present or future; the form ‘might’ is used in past-time contexts only in reported speech. ‘Can’ (‘could’) may refer to the present, past or future.

He may find this book at the library. He can find this book at the library. He could find this book at the library yesterday. He can find this book at the library tomorrow.

Both ‘could’ and ‘might’ combined with the perfect infinitive indicate that the action was not carried out in the past: He might have found the book at the library. He could have found the book at the library.

It follows from the above that the sphere of application of ‘can’ is much wider than that of ‘may’.

2) When ‘can’ and ‘may’ express permission the difference between them is rather that of style than of meaning – ‘may’ is more formal than ‘can’ which is characteristic of colloquial English.

Compare: May (might) I speak to you for a moment, professor? Can (could) I have a cup of tea, Mother?

Besides, ‘may’ in negative sentences expressing prohibition is uncommon.

 

Must

I. The modal verb ‘must’ has only one form. It is used in present-time contexts with reference to the present or future and in combination with the perfect infinitive it refers to the past.

In past-time contexts this form is used only in the reported speech, i.e. the rules of the sequence of tenses are not observed with ‘must’: I knew I must go there too.

II. ‘Must’ has the following meanings:

1) obligation or compulsion (from the speaker’s point of view). In this meaning ‘must’ is found in affirmative and interrogative sentences and is followed only by the simple (non-perfect) infinitive: He must move the furniture himself. I can’t help him. Must you really go so soon?

In different contexts ‘must’ may acquire additional shades of meaning, such as:

a) duty or necessity: We must begin before five, or we shan’t finish in time for our supper.

b) instructions, orders or notices: Passengers must cross the lines by the footbridge.

c) with a 2nd person subject ‘must’ expresses an obligation which has the same effect as a command: You must do as you are told.

Obligations expressed by ‘must’ refer to the present or future, in reported speech they may refer to the past: She had already decided that she must show the letter to Robert.

Future obligations can be made precise with the future simple of the verb ‘have to’: I’ll have to read it again.

2) prohibition: this meaning is expressed in negative sentences and ‘must’ is also followed by the simple infinitive and is rendered into Russian as ‘нельзя’, ‘не разрешается’.

The girl mustn’t go home alone. It’s very late.

3) invitations or emphatic advice: this meaning is found in affirmative and negative sentences and it is closely connected with the two above mentioned meanings: You must come and see me some time. You must come and have dinner with us.

4) supposition implying strong probability: in English this meaning may also be expressed by means of the modal word ‘probably’. In Russian this meaning is usually rendered by means of the modal words ‘вероятно’, ‘должно быть’. In this meaning must is found only in affirmative sentences.

He must be ill. He looks pale. It must be late as the streets are deserted.

In this meaning ‘must’ may be followed by different forms of the infinitive. If reference is made to the present, the continuous infinitive is used with dynamic verbs.

‘Must’ expressing supposition implying strong probability is not used:

a) with reference to the future. In this case modal words ‘probably’ and ‘evidently’ are used: He will probably feel lonely. He will probably come tomorrow.

b) in negative and interrogative forms. There are several ways of expressing the negative meaning of probability in such sentences: by negative affixes, or negative pronouns, or lexically.

He must have failed to get in touch with her. You must have misunderstood me. They must have been inattentive. He must have had no chance to warn you. The letter must never have reached her. He must be quite unaware of the circumstances. No one must have seen him there. The letter must have been left unanswered.

Besides the above mentioned shades of meaning, sometimes accompanied by emphasis, the modal verb ‘must’ may be used solely for the sake of emphasis. In this case must is not translated into Russian, it merely emphasises some action or idea.

Just when we were ready to go away for the holidays, the baby must catch measles. … ребенок возьми и заболей корью.

Of course after I gave her my advice she must go and do the opposites. … она вдруг пойди и сделай наоборот.

In spoken English we often use ‘must’ and ‘mustn’t’ to propose a future arrangement, such as a meeting or social event, without making detailed plans: We must get together once more.

To draw a conclusion about

ò something that happened in the past we use ‘must + have + past participle’ That’s not Kate’s car. She must have borrowed it from her parents.

ò something happening at or around the time of speaking we use ‘must be + -ing’: I can’t hear anyone moving around upstairs. You must be imagining things.

ò something that is likely to happen in the future we use ‘must be going to’ or ‘must be + -ing’: ‘What are all those workmen doing?’ ‘I think the must be going to dig up the road’.

We can use ‘must have to’ to say that we conclude something based on what we know about a present situation and ‘must have had to’ to conclude something about a past situation: I can’ start a computer. You must have to know a password.

Notice the following set phrases with ‘must’:

a) ‘Must needs’ denotes obligation: He must needs go there. Он непременно должен пойти туда.

b) ‘I must be going’ or ‘I must be off’ both mean ‘it is time for me to go’.

 

Must and May Compared

‘Must’ and ‘may’ can be compared in two meanings.

1) both ‘must’ and ‘may’ are used to express supposition but their use is not parallel. ‘May’ denotes supposition implying uncertainty whereas supposition expressed by ‘must’ implies strong probability.

For all I know, he may be an actor. His face seems so familiar.

He must be an actor. His voice carries so well.

2) ‘must’ and ‘may’ are used to express prohibition in negative sentences. But ‘may’ is seldom in this meaning. In negative answers to questions with ‘may’ asking for permission we generally find ‘must not’ or ‘cannot’.

‘May I smoke here?’ ‘No, you mustn’t / you can’t’.

 

Have to – have got to

I. ‘To have to’ as a modal verb is not a defective verb and can have the category of person and number and all the necessary tense-aspect forms as well as verbals. It is followed by a to-infinitive and combined only with the simple (non-perfect) infinitive.

As there is no through train to our town we have to change in Moscow. We had to look all over town before we found what we wanted. She won’t have to walk the whole way, will she?

The interrogative and negative forms of the modal verb ‘to have to’ are built up by means of the auxiliary verb ‘to do’: Do you have to work? He doesn’t have to be here before Sunday.

II. The modal verb ‘to have to’ serves to express obligation or necessity imposed by circumstances. It is rendered into Russian as ‘приходится’, ‘вынужден’.

She is usually short of time, so she has to go by air. My sister has a lot of friends in different parts of the country, so she has to write lots of letters.

In the past tense have to indicates a fulfilled obligation: We had to do a lot of things during the week we stayed

The past form of the modal verb ‘to have to’ replaces ‘must’ where ‘must’ cannot be used:

a) to express past necessity or obligation: We had to do it again.

b) to express absence of necessity (in the sense of needn’t), since ‘must not’ means prohibition: You don’t have to make another copy of the document, Miss Black; this copy will be quite satisfactory.

c) to express a future obligation, since the future tense of the verb ‘to have to’ makes the obligation more precise: You will have to take a taxi if you mean to catch the train.

The modal verb ‘to have to’ can be used together with the modal verb ‘may’: We may have to wait long here.

 

Sometimes we can use either ‘have to’ or ‘have got to’. However

ò we use ‘have to’ with frequency adverbs such as ‘always, never, normally, rarely, sometimes’: I often have to work at the weekend.

ò with the past simple we use ‘had to’ especially in negative sentences: When did you have to give it back? We didn’t have to wait too long.

ò if ‘have’ is contracted we must include ‘got’: The experiment has failed twice before, so it’s got to work this time.

ò we don’t use ‘have got to’ with other modal verbs: Employees will have to accept the new conditions.

 

Must and have to

In questions that hope for or expect a negative answer we prefer ‘have (got) to’, although in formal contexts ‘must’ is sometimes used: Do we have to answer all the questions? (Have we got to …? Must we …? is also possible but rather formal)

We use ‘have to’ in questions that imply a criticism. ‘Must’ can also be used, although some people think this is rather old-fashioned: Do you have to play your trumpet here? It’s deafening me! (Must you …?)

 

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