11 Conclusions Must Have got A Visit to

11 Conclusions: Must, Have (got) A Visit to the Doctor Focus on Grammar 3 Part VIII, Unit 37 By Ruth Luman, Gabriele Steiner, and BJ Wells Copyright © 2006. Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Am I OK? Well, I have What could terrible pain the problem in my be? stomach. So, what There are seems to be several the problem? We’ll need to possibilities. take some X-rays and do some tests to find out.

Meaning We often make guesses and draw conclusions about present situations using the information we have. Positive 100% Certain must have (got) to may Negative can’t, couldn’t We use modals to show not we are certain must or uncertain aboutmay our conclusions. not might, could might not 0% Certain

Affirmative Conclusions When we are almost 100% certain, we use must, have to, or have got to to state affirmative conclusions. Mr. Jones must have I looked at all the test an. I ulcer. results, and talked to the patient. I believe that… He has to be in pain. He’s got to be very uncomfortable.

Possibilities When we are less certain about our conclusion, we use may, might, or could to express that something is possible. I see something unusual. Mr. Jones could have an ulcer. He may have an infection. He might be very sick.

Practice 1 100% Certain must have (got) to may might, could 0% Certain An X-ray of the heart and lungs. Look at each part of the photograph one at a time. Try to guess what it is. Increase the certainty of your guesses by using the appropriate modals. This might be …

Negative Conclusions 1 Use can’t and couldn’t when you are almost 100% certain that something is impossible. Use must not when you are slightly less certain. It can’t be an The X-rays infection. look good. The patient couldn’t have heartburn. It must not be serious.

Negative Conclusions 2 Use may not and might not when you are even less certain. Your illness might not be serious. You may not need to stay in the hospital.

Questions Use can and could in questions. What can the The test results problem be? are not clear. Could the patient need surgery?

Look at the objects under a microscope. Ask and answer questions about possibility. Use positive and negative modals. Practice 2 Example: 1. It may be a Itfeather. must be cotton fibers. 3. 2. 5. It can’t be What could skin. it be? 4. stomach of a spider (#5) eye of an insect (#2) a feather (#3) cotton fibers (Example) tongue of a snail (#4) skin (#1)

Short Answers In short answers, use a modal alone. He may not The surgeon He has to. to might He was in a operate first. serious accident. Does the he patient need a have cast? a broken bone?

Be Careful! Use be in short answers to questions that include be. Could that be an image of my brain? Ohnot wait. It I’m sure. has to be. It might be. I see the brain stem.

Ask and answer questions about the X-rays. Use short answers. Practice 3 Possible Questions Possible Answers Could X-ray # ___ be a ___? It has to be. /It’s got to be. It might be. Could that X-ray be a knee? Can X-ray #___ be a ___? It may/might/could be. 2. 1. Example: knee shoulder brain

References Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education and its licensors. All rights reserved.