Lesson 112 👩‍🏫 Basic English with Jennifer - MAY and MIGHT (modals)

Hi everyone.

I’m Jennifer from English with Jennifer.

Do you often study with me?

You may know I have two students: Flavia and Andreia.

And you might know that they’re from Brazil.

Let’s practice modal verbs all together.

These are verbs like "may" and "might."

First, we should review a little.

Okay?

Ladies, that was very good.

Because you know that if you want to get better,

you should practice.

And I bet you practiced several times, many times.

So, good job!

The other thing that we practiced is "should."

Right?

So, little by little, we get more and more of these verbs.

These are called our modal verbs.

Can, could, should.

All these verbs help us

talk about different things.

Like "can" and "could" are for our abilities.

What can we do?

Right?

"Should" is for advice when we want to help people.

So, remember to give me advice, and you can give me advice with "should."

If I say it's cold outside...it's cold outside,

and I'm barefoot, what does "barefoot" mean?

Barefoot?

No shoes.

No shoes?

Yes.

No shoes, no socks.

You're barefoot.

Barefoot?

Yeah.

So, when you're in your house, you can walk around barefoot.

And in the summertime, if it's warm, if the ground is dry,

you can walk barefoot.

Right?

It's cold outside now, and I'm barefoot.

What's your advice?

What do you tell me to do?

Um, you should wear boots.

Yes!

Or shoes.

Yes.

And you shouldn't go barefoot.

You can say...

You shouldn't...

You can be barefoot.

You can go barefoot.

Jennifer, you shouldn't go barefoot.

It's too cold outside.

Um, it's raining and I need to walk to the store.

Umbrella.

Yeah.

Yeah.

You should...you should...you should use...use umbrella.

You should use an umbrella.

Or you should wear a hood.

Or a rain jacket.

Something like that.

Um, my hands hurt from texting too much.

You shouldn't...you shouldn't...to text too much.

You shouldn't text too much.

So, remember with all the modals, we never say "to."

But you should or shouldn't text.

Right.

You shouldn't text.

And we don't say,

"You shouldn't to text."

But, "You shouldn't text."

You shouldn't text.

Like, you shouldn't go barefoot.

You shouldn't text so much.

Okay?

My back hurts from sitting too long.

Hmm?

My back hurts from sitting for a long time.

I sit too long.

You should...you shouldn't...uh...

work a long time.

Mm-hmm.

At the desk.

At the desk.

Or at the computer.

Yes.

You shouldn't work for a long time at the desk.

You shouldn't work a long time.

You shouldn't work a long time,

or you shouldn't work for a long time.

For a long time.

What is...?

You should...

You shouldn't...uh...

Stretch?

Stretch?

You should stretch.

You should stretch.

Or you should...get up.

Get up.

Yeah.

You should get up.

You should stretch.

You shouldn't sit for a long time.

Mm.

Stretch.

You shouldn't sit at your computer for a long time.

SHOULD is a modal verb.

We often use SHOULD + (base verb) to give advice.

We say what we think is a good idea.

What should the man do?

He should clean his shoe.

What should someone do?

Someone should put the can in the trash.

What shouldn’t we do?

We shouldn’t throw plastic bottles in rivers or oceans.

MAY and MIGHT are also modal verbs.

When can we use them?

Listen and learn.

Two other verbs I want you to practice are "may" and "might."

Ah!

You've seen them, but modal verbs can have many uses.

Right now we're just talking about possibilities, making guesses.

We don't know.

Maybe yes.

Maybe no.

I don't know.

That's when we use "may" and "might."

And you need to be careful with "may" because it looks like "maybe."

Mm-hmm.

But look at the difference.

Um...so I hear Lila [whimpering].

Like, "What's wrong?"

I don't know, but maybe your dog is hungry.

Your dog may be hungry.

These are different.

Right?

"Maybe" is one word.

This is two.

This is your modal verb.

You dog may be hungry.

Your dog might be hungry.

It's the same thing.

Right?

"May" and "might" are for possibilities.

Some say that "may" is stronger, but they're similar.

Right?

What's the difference between "may" and "can"?

"Can" is what we're able to do.

Like, I can whistle, I can make a cake.

Can you help me?

Um, it's more for ability.

Like talents.

Like, I can dance, I can sing, I can play the...

What you can and can't do.

"May" and "might" are for possibilities.

Right?

Maybe she's tired.

She may be tired.

She might be tired.

It's basically all the same thing.

Right?

Let me actually open up my weather app.

Okay.

Sometimes it's right.

Sometimes it's wrong.

Do you see what they say for Tuesday?

Tuesday.

It's raining.

Yeah, so, but sometimes they're right.

Sometimes they're wrong.

Tomorrow it may....it may....

and now you add your verb.

It may rain.

It may rain.

It might rain.

Right?

If I look, and I see...well, they say 100%...30%...

If it's, like, 30%...40%, it may rain.

It might rain.

But if I see 100%, "Oh, it's going to rain tomorrow."

I know.

It's going to rain.

But sometimes they tell us percentages.

You know?

Oh!

90%.

Then we don't use this.

It's going to rain tomorrow.

But if I go to another day,

Oh, Friday!

We might have snow!

Yes!

But 50/50.

Maybe yes.

Maybe we'll have snow.

We might have snow.

We may have snow.

Uh-huh.

We'll see.

Right?

For sure, it's going to rain tomorrow.

On Friday, we might have snow.

Do you see the couple?

Uh-huh.

We don't know who these people are.

We just look and we guess.

Right?

I said they might be on vacation.

They may be married.

They might be in Florida.

I don't know.

This could also be in Cuba.

I have no idea.

So, you're going to make guesses with "may" and "might."

Right?

Do you see those people?

Uh-huh.

Who do you think they are?

Who might they be?

Where might they be?

They might be on vacation.

They might be on vacation.

On vacation.

Yeah.

They might be married.

They might be married.

Yeah.

They might be married.

They might be in Europe.

Yeah.

I don't know.

Okay.

How about these ladies?

She... Three of them?

They...

They...

They might take a picture.

Ah!

They might want to take a picture.

Ah!

We can't see actually.

Oh, yes, yes, yes! [laughter] Good guess!

They might want to take a picture.

So, I didn't show you.

Now, like,

"Oh yes!

That's what they want to do."

They want to take a picture.

Yes?

Where might they be?

They might be tourists.

They might be tourists.

This might be a vacation.

They may be, um, in the U.S. or outside the U.S.

I don't think...

This may not be the U.S. because the streets look old.

So, this may not be the U.S. Okay.

Aw.

Yeah.

That might be teacher.

That might be a teacher.

A daughter?

That might be a teacher or that might be a parent.

Like a mother or a father.

I think...I think it's a man's hand.

That might be a father, and maybe the father is teaching the child.

Right?

So, it might be a father.

It might be an uncle.

It might be a relative.

It may be a teacher, but that hand is very small.

Yes!

So, I don't think that's a student.

I think that's like a little baby.

So, this might be a relative.

I don't think it's a teacher.

Okay?

When we're certain, when we're sure about something, we don’t need modal verbs.

These are students.

I'm sure.

They have computers, and they're studying.

This is a hair stylist.

I know.

See?

He's working in a salon.

These are sisters.

I'm certain.

These women?

I don't know.

They might be sisters.

They may be cousins.

What about this man?

We don't know who he is.

What are some possibilities?

He might be a professional photographer.

He may work for a magazine.

How about this bear?

What does it want?

It may want food.

Why?

It might smell something in the trash can.

Tell me about this man.

Where do you think he is?

Where might he be?

Do you think he's alone?

Do you think he may be with someone?

What does he want to do?

Use "may" and "might."

Tell me your ideas in the comments.

That's all for now.

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As always, thanks for watching and happy studies!

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