Using Modal Verbs to Speculate About the Past

Learn how to speculate about past events with essential grammar tips in this video.

Speculating about the past involves using specific modal verbs to express certainty or uncertainty about events.

When you are sure that something happened, use "must" followed by the base form of the verb. For example, "She must be on her way," indicates certainty.

If you are less sure about an event, use "may have," "might have," or "could have" followed by the past participle. Examples include:

• "She may have been lost on the way."
• "She might have had a problem."
• "She could have got stuck in a traffic jam."

When you are sure that something did not happen, use "can't" followed by the base form of the verb. For example, "She can't be at home," expresses certainty that she is not at home.

Understanding and using these structures correctly will improve your ability to speculate about the past in English.