[Grammar] he may/can soon change...

[NAL123]

Consider this sentence, please:

He might say that now (= it is true that he does), but he can soon change his mind. (an example from a dictionary)

Can we replace the "can" with "may/might"? For example:

He might say that now, but he may also soon change his mind.

 

[Rover_KE]

Consider this sentence, please:

... (an example from a dictionary)

Please tell us which dictionary and what word was being exemplified.

 

[NAL123]

Please tell us which dictionary and what word was being exemplified.

https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/might_1 definition 1, example 5. But here I'm not concerned about "might" though.

 

[GoesStation]

Consider this sentence, please:

He might say that now (= it is true that he does), but he can soon change his mind. (an example from a dictionary)

Can we replace the "can" with "may/might"? For example:

He might say that now, but he may [STRIKE]also[/STRIKE] soon change his mind.

Yes, if you remove "also". "Could" would work, too. The dictionary's version with can feels unnatural to me.

 

[NAL123]

Yes, if you remove "also". "Could" would work, too. The dictionary's version with can feels unnatural to me.

To me, with "can", the meaning is: He might say this now, or he might say something entirely different; but in either case, what he says can be ignored, because he can change his mind.

 

[jutfrank]

On my first reading, can soon has a sense that he has a habit of changing his mind.

Replacing with may/might would lose that sense.