Can, could or may?
Possibility
When we talk about possibility, we use can, could and may, but they are different in meaning.
| This expresses what the speaker believes is a general truth or known fact, or a strong possibility. |
| This does not express a general truth. The speaker is only expressing a weak possibility. |
| This expresses a real fact using the present simple. The speaker is certain and no modality is used. |
Permission
We use can, could and may to ask for permission. We use can and may, but not could, to give permission. May is less common:
asking for permission | formal/polite? | giving permission | formal/polite? |
| informal | Yes, you can. Yes, you may.
| informal |
| more formal/polite | formal/polite | |
| even more formal/polite |
See also:
Requests
When we make requests, we can use can or could (but not may). Could is more polite than can:
Can you call back later? I’m busy now.
Could you call back later? I’m busy now.
Teachers and parents often use can and could in requests:
Can you open you books at page 34, please.
Can you please refrain from chewing gum.
Could you just sit down and listen!
See also:
Can, could or may: typical errors
Could in the present only expresses weak possibility. Can expresses strong possibility:
I can travel in July because my exams will definitely be finished at the beginning of that month. (strong possibility)
I could travel in July because my exams will probably be finished at the beginning of that month. (weak possibility)
We don’t normally use could to talk about general truths which refer to the present time. We use can instead:
Not everyone can afford to buy organic food.
Not:
Not everyone could afford…
We use could, not can, to express future possibility. Can expresses that we are certain of something:
Working in London next summer could be a great experience. (The speaker thinks this is possible, in particular circumstances)
Not: …
can be a great experience.
(“Can, could or may ?” da English Grammar Today © Cambridge University Press.)
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- Adjectives and adverbs
-
Easily confused words
- Above or over?
- Across, over or through?
- Advice or advise?
- Affect or effect?
- All or every?
- All or whole?
- Allow, permit or let?
- Almost or nearly?
- Alone, lonely, or lonesome?
- Along or alongside?
- Already, still or yet?
- Also, as well or too?
- Alternate(ly), alternative(ly)
- Although or though?
- Altogether or all together?
- Amount of, number of or quantity of?
- Any more or anymore?
- Anyone, anybody or anything?
- Apart from or except for?
- Arise or rise?
- Around or round?
- Arouse or rouse?
- As or like?
- As, because or since?
- As, when or while?
- Been or gone?
- Begin or start?
- Beside or besides?
- Between or among?
- Born or borne?
- Bring, take and fetch
- Can, could or may?
- Classic or classical?
- Come or go?
- Consider or regard?
- Consist, comprise or compose?
- Content or contents?
- Different from, different to or different than?
- Do or make?
- Down, downwards or downward?
- During or for?
- Each or every?
- East or eastern; north or northern?
- Economic or economical?
- Efficient or effective?
- Elder, eldest or older, oldest?
- End or finish?
- Especially or specially?
- Every one or everyone?
- Except or except for?
- Expect, hope or wait?
- Experience or experiment?
- Fall or fall down?
- Far or a long way?
- Farther, farthest or further, furthest?
- Fast, quick or quickly?
- Fell or felt?
- Female or feminine; male or masculine?
- Finally, at last, lastly or in the end?
- First, firstly or at first?
- Fit or suit?
- Following or the following?
- For or since?
- Forget or leave?
- Full or filled?
- Fun or funny?
- Get or go?
- Grateful or thankful?
- Hear or listen (to)?
- High or tall?
- Historic or historical?
- House or home?
- How is …? or What is … like?
- If or when?
- If or whether?
- Ill or sick?
- Imply or infer?
- In the way or on the way?
- It’s or its?
- Late or lately?
- Lay or lie?
- Lend or borrow?
- Less or fewer?
- Look at, see or watch?
- Low or short?
- Man, mankind or people?
- Maybe or may be?
- Maybe or perhaps?
- Nearest or next?
- Never or not … ever?
- Nice or sympathetic?
- No doubt or without doubt?
- No or not?
- Nowadays, these days or today?
- Open or opened?
- Opportunity or possibility?
- Opposite or in front of?
- Other, others, the other or another?
- Out or out of?
- Permit or permission?
- Person, persons or people?
- Pick or pick up?
- Play or game?
- Politics, political, politician or policy?
- Price or prize?
- Principal or principle?
- Quiet or quite?
- Raise or rise?
- Remember or remind?
- Right or rightly?
- Rob or steal?
- Say or tell?
- So that or in order that?
- Sometimes or sometime?
- Sound or noise?
- Speak or talk?
- Such or so?
- There, their or they’re?
- Towards or toward?
- Wait or wait for?
- Wake, wake up or awaken?
- Worth or worthwhile?
- Nouns, pronouns and determiners
-
Prepositions and particles
- Above
- After
- Against
- Among and amongst
- At
- At, in and to (movement)
- At, on and in (place)
- At, on and in (time)
- Below
- Beneath: meaning and use
- Beyond
- By + myself etc.
- During
- For
- For + -ing
- From
- In front of
- In spite of and despite
- In, into
- Near and near to
- Of
- On, onto
- Over
- Prepositional phrases
- Prepositions
- To
- Under
- Until
- With
- Within
- Without
- Words, sentences and clauses
- Using English
- Verbs
Parola del Giorno
warm-hearted
kind and loving
