Modal verbs of Permission and Request - May, Could, and Can

May, could, and can

 

Modal verbs: could, may, and can are used with the infinitive to express permission and request statements.

Asking for permission and making requests are very similar and can be confusing.

 

Permission

Asking someone to allow you to do something is asking for permission.

E.g.,

May I open the presents now?

Could I go outside to play? It stopped raining.

No Jim, it's still drizzling.

 

(May can only be used with the first person)

 

Request

Asking something from the second person or asking the second person to do something is making a request.

E.g.,

Could you open the window? It's hot inside.

Can you raise the volume? I can't hear from the back.

 

Points to remember:

1.    Permissions and requests are made. They are interrogative - yes/no questions. Granting permission and agreeing or disagreeing to take a request is mostly said without the modal verb. The answers received are usually monosyllabic.

E.g.,

Can you open this jar? I can't open it. It's tight.

     Sure.

2.    Could and may are formal and polite.               

3.    Can is only slightly informal, and it is preferred and used more often than could and may.

4.    All permissions are requests, but not all requests are permissions.

5.    May can only be used with the first person.

Lesson Plan

Materials and worksheets