What you'll learn
By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to express possibility in all its degrees and tenses.
When do I use it?
Express possibility with modals and adverbs:
- Present/future: "It could rain later." "She may be at home." "He might know the answer."
- Past: "They might have missed the bus." "It could have been worse."
- Adverbs: "possibly", "perhaps", "maybe".
- Clauses: "It is possible that...", "There is a chance that...".
Scale of possibility: might/may/could (open) → possibly (more open than "probably").
How do I form it?
might / may / could + base verb might / may / could + have + past participle (past) It is possible that + clause
- The weather might change tomorrow.
- He could be in the office right now.
- They may have taken a different route.
- It is possible that the delay is technical.
Common mistakes for Spanish speakers
Spanish "puede ser que" + subjunctive is often translated as "it can be that" — wrong. Use "It is possible that" or "It may/might be that". Also, "can" is for general ability/possibility ("it can rain here in April" = it sometimes does), while "may/might/could" are for specific situations ("it might rain tonight"). Do not add "to" after the modal, and use "might have" for past possibility, not "could have" when you mean pure chance.
may/might/could + verb for specific possibility. It is possible that + clause for a neutral statement.
Practice
Multiple Choice
C1Which sentence is correct for a specific possibility tonight?
Fill in the Blank
C1They might taken the early train.
Hint: Past possibility: might have + participle.
Find the Error
C1Sentence Transformation
C1Task: Rewrite with 'might have'
Hint: might have + past participle.
Practice Speaking
Apply what you've learned in a real conversation with AI feedback.
Level: C1