Verbs: modals of probability
Questions
Overview
You must be joking. - Você deve estar brincando.
Use:
We use modal verbs of probability when talking about situations that we think are possible or true.
The modals below are used to express probability:
| Modal of probability | Level of certainty |
|---|---|
| must, have to | 100 or almost 100 |
| should | Almost 100 |
| might, could, may | >0 <80 |
| can't, mustn't, couldn't | 0 or almost 0 |
Examples:
| English | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| He must be tired | Ele deve estar cansado |
| That should be the postman | Deve ser o carteiro |
| He might change his mind | Ele talvez mude de ideia |
| She can't be at home | Ela não pode estar em casa |
Further learning
| Description | Author | Language | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examples of using probability modals in the present and the past. | BBC Learning |  |