Quote:
Originally Posted by mykwyner  Here is the situation:
Two friends make it to the beach after their boat sinks. They notice that the third friend, Bill, is missing.
Oh no! where is Bill?
He might have drowned.
He could have drowned.
He may have drowned.
I don't see any difference here. There are situations where these modals separate more significant degrees of meaning, but in this case they all mean "possibly dead." |
You're right, mykwyner that in certain circumstances, many of these modals seem to state the same thing and in this case, "possibility" covers all three. But that doesn't change the core meaning of the modals. They still retain their meanings and 'may' and 'might' express ranges of certainty while 'could/can' do not.
"He probably drowned" & "He almost certainly drowned/He must have drowned" also state "possibly dead"; all three show even higher levels of certainty.
But you have to consider the pragmatics of the situation. What would the two friends use? I'll suggest that 'may' sounds too strong, too certain to entertain at the outset and IMHO, it wouldn't be the first choice. Nor would, "could have drowned" be a first choice.