may, can, could (permission)

May, can and could (permission)

‘May’, ‘can’ and ‘could’ are auxiliary model verbs that always come before main verbs. ‘May’, ‘can’ and ‘could’ are also used to express the meaning of possibility, but in the lesson, we are going to learn how these modals can be used to express the meaning of permission. 

‘May’ and ‘can’ 

‘May’ and ‘can’ are also used to express the meaning of permission, but ‘can’ is less formal then ‘may’. It means that we can even use ‘can’ for permission.


Examples;- 

• May I come in the classroom?
• Can I come in the classroom?
• Can I use your pen?
• May I give you some water?

‘Can’ and ‘could’

‘Can’ and ‘could’ both are used to express permission, but ‘could’ is used for past permission and ‘can’ for present.   

Examples:- 

• Can I use your pen?
• You could use my pen without my permission.

‘Could’ is also used to express a condition. 

Examples:-

• You could use my car if you pass the exam.
• You could attend the part if you finish your work on time.