Level: B2 Upper Intermediate
Focus: Speaking and Grammar in Context
Topic: Speculation and Deduction
Author: Wadi Batyouk
Platform: LinguaPath.org
At B2 level, learners should be able to go beyond simple guesses. They need to express how certain or uncertain they are and support
their ideas with evidence. English uses modal verbs such as must, might, may, could, and can’t to show different degrees of certainty.
1. Making Strong Deductions
We use must when we believe something is very likely to be true because we have strong evidence.
We use can’t when the available evidence makes something seem impossible or extremely unlikely.
2. Expressing Possibility
These forms express possibility rather than certainty. The speaker believes the situation is possible but does not have enough evidence to be certain.
3. Short Conversation
Alex: Emma still hasn’t arrived. Do you think something happened?
Ryan: She might have missed the train.
Alex: Possibly, but she usually calls when she’s running late.
Ryan: Her phone could have run out of battery.
Alex: That’s possible. She can’t have forgotten the meeting because we spoke about it this morning.
Ryan: True. There must be another explanation.
4. Talking About the Past
At B2 level, learners should also be able to speculate about past events.
must have + past participle
He must have forgotten his keys.
might / may / could have + past participle
She might have taken the wrong bus.
can’t have + past participle
They can’t have finished already. They only started an hour ago.
5. Compare the Meaning
He must be at work.
The speaker is almost certain.
He might be at work.
The speaker thinks it is possible.
He can’t be at work.
The speaker believes it is impossible or extremely unlikely.
6. Mini Practice
Choose the most suitable modal verb.
- His car is outside, so he __________ be at home.
- She hasn’t answered yet. She __________ be busy.
- That __________ be Sarah. Sarah has much longer hair.
- They arrived extremely late. They __________ have missed their first train.
- He knows every detail of the project. He __________ have read the report carefully.
7. Speaking Practice
Give a possible explanation for each situation. Try to explain why your deduction is reasonable.
- Your colleague is normally punctual, but today she is thirty minutes late.
- The lights are on in your neighbour’s house, but nobody answers the door.
- A friend suddenly stops replying to messages.
- You hear a loud noise outside in the middle of the night.
- A student who normally performs well receives a very low test score.
Example Answer
Situation:
Your colleague is normally punctual, but today she is thirty minutes late.
Answer:
She might have missed her train, or there could have been a delay.
She can’t have forgotten about work because she mentioned today’s meeting yesterday.
Lesson Summary
In this lesson, you practised how to:
- make strong deductions with must
- express possibility with might, may, and could
- reject unlikely explanations with can’t
- speculate about past events
- support deductions with evidence
Continue Learning B2 English
This lesson introduces one important area of B2 communication.
The complete LinguaPath B2 course provides further practice in
speaking, vocabulary, grammar, reading, conversations, and practical
English for real situations.
© LinguaPath. Created by Wadi Batyouk.
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