Talking About Your Work in English with May Might and Probably
back to our weekly at live stream my
name is Alisha and today we’re going to
talk about how to talk about your plans
and I’m going to focus on using may
might and probably to do this today’s
lesson will be a good one for I think
beginners and of course it will be good
grammar review at the end of today’s
lesson I’m also going to cover some
other expressions you can use to talk
about your plan so I hope that everyone
can find something while we wait for
everyone to join a couple announcements
and as you join please don’t forget to
hit the like button and share today’s
lesson so that other people can find it
announcement one as always there is free
stuff for you this is the sports and
exercise PDF but from the link below the
video if you’re watching on youtube or
above the video if you’re watching on
facebook there are free PDF files for
you to download to get some vocabulary
words and expressions to practice so I
will show you a couple of these later in
today’s lesson that’s announcement one
announcement two is as usual I want to
remind you about something you can
participate in this is I think I showed
last week a screenshot from our weekly
Q&A series our weekly question and
answer series asked Alicia where you can
send me your questions your English
related questions grammar vocabulary
whatever or culture related questions
and I will choose them and maybe answer
them this is a screenshot I was talking
about the difference between especially
and special s especially and
specifically in this one so if you have
any questions you want to answer you
want me to answer maybe you can send
them to me at English class 101.com
slash asked - Alicia and of course you
can watch these episodes on our YouTube
channel the English class 101 youtube
channel you
I am toasty this morning okay
all right I see lots of people in the
check now hello on YouTube I see a dual
Oscar Augusto can will eat hello Hema
loves loves Aamir hi hope I said that
right Dario will Mars satsang Brendale
hello everybody and Facebook - hi
everybody sander rayon hi vanaf bodger
Arlene Oh someone’s name I can’t read md
md jack aria
Gina’s o2 file hello everybody I hope I
said that correctly and I see a member
on our YouTube chat - hi Alfonso alright
so as I said today’s lesson is going to
be about using may might and probably to
express your plans I’m going to talk
about the differences between these
words so of course as always in today’s
lesson please send your example
sentences in the chat I will try to
check live I can’t promise I can check
everything I will try to get to yours
live but send your questions as well as
they pop up Wow
YouTube hi hi hi unfazed book hi hi hi
lots of messages there okay I’m going to
share today’s lesson and then I’m going
to begin our topic for today all right
so as always I have a couple of
different things I have like three basic
groups that I want to split today’s
lesson into so the first group the first
topic I want to talk about today is
using may and might may and might so -
for today’s lesson yes I want to note
that we use may to ask permission to do
something yes like may I use the
restroom or may I borrow your pen
yes we have this use of May but today
I’m not going to focus on that grammar
point I’m not going to talk about using
May to ask permission today I’m going to
focus on using may and might the meaning
that they share the meaning
is similar so with that in mind I want
to first talk about the differences
between the positive and the negative
uses of may and might so when we make a
positive sentence when we make a
positive statement with may or with
might it expresses about a 50 or 60
percent chance of something so it’s a
pretty good chance of something but
we’re not sure we’re not 100% sure about
our plan
so maybe 50 to 60 percent this is not a
perfect rule just a guide when you make
a negative statement however so that
means may not or might not something it
expresses a low chance
so like 20% or 30% chance of something a
low chance of the following activity so
positive negative also I want to point
out lots of people ask how do I know
should I choose may or should I choose
might what should I do
might is more common in American English
in American English we usually say I
might do this I might not do that we use
might much more often than we use may in
American English may is of course
correct but to American English speakers
it’s sometimes sounds a little bit more
formal so if we want to sound more
polite we might use May we might use May
but generally speaking generally
American English speakers I’m an
American English speaker we use might
might so how do we make a statement how
do we make a statement with may or might
to do this we have our subject so
subject that means I or you or he she we
they are subject plus either may or
might today I’m going to practice might
a lot but you can use May here so
subject might
to make it negative ad not here so
subject might not I might not
he might not she may not so this is
optional
to make the negative form put you’re not
here and finally we use the infinitive
verb so I might not go or he may come
and then we’ll add some extra
information after the verb according to
the verb you choose so let’s take a look
at some examples first one I might go
hiking this weekend
I might go hiking this weekend so a
positive sentence I subject might so
fifty to sixty percent chance of
something go is my infinitive verb and
the information after hiking this
weekend so I might go hiking it’s also
grammatically correct but we want to
talk about our specific plan yeah so we
include this weekend for the time period
i michael hiking this weekend okay
second example we may see a movie
tomorrow night we may see a movie
tomorrow night so again this probably
this might sound a little bit more
formal in american english it’s correct
it’s totally correct it sounds a little
more polite though so we may see here’s
my subject we may so 50 to 60% chance or
so see is my verb in the infinitive form
so remember infinitive form means just
the basic dictionary form when you check
the dictionary the infinitive form is
the the form that’s in the dictionary so
we may see a movie tomorrow night the
difference here between see a movie and
watch a movie when you use C it sounds
like you’re going to the movie theater
if you say we may watch a movie tonight
it sounds like you’re going to stay at
home and watch the movie that’s the
difference okay let’s look at some
negative examples and then of course as
I’m teaching this part your question for
the chat live and not live is what’s
something you might do
this weekend so send me your examples
and I’ll try to check them in a minute
let’s look at some negatives though she
might not come to the beach with us
tomorrow she might not come to the beach
with us tomorrow so this one again a
negative my subject is she I’m using
might not might not so that means
there’s a very low chance of this action
there’s a very low chance of this
activity she might not come to the beach
with us so that means there was some
plan that we had I want to express one
person’s plan to not come so there’s a
very low chance this person will come
she might not come to the beach with us
tomorrow one more negative example I may
not be able to attend your party after
all so I included this example sentence
for a couple reasons first I may not be
able to I may not be able to attend so
this isn’t important and small what
sounds like a small point but this is a
very helpful expression I might not be
able to do something this is different
it sounds different in nuance then sorry
I had to do I might not attend
I might not attend your party after all
if I say I might not attend your party
after all it sounds like that’s my
decision I decide I’m not going to
attend if however you say I am sorry I
may not I may not be able to attend your
party this be able to sounds like
there’s some other outside
responsibilities like you have work a
sudden work project or your family or
some other situation you need to deal
with so that means you can’t do it
you’re not able to do it it’s not
possible
so this
makes the sentence much much softer I
might not be able to attend your party
another thing I want to talk about with
this one is this after all after all
after all so this does not mean like
it’s not a literal expression it doesn’t
mean like after Oh what yeah this means
in the end in the end so this means like
at the end of the situation so we use
this in cases where we’ve discussed
something so in this situation for
example maybe I talked to someone about
attending a party we made a plan
together and then a week later I’m like
oh wait I don’t know if I can come I
might not be able to attend after all of
our discussion after all of the things
we talked about after all of those
details shared in the end I don’t think
I’m able to attend so after all shows
like you recognize the stuff all of the
things all of the details from before so
it was not possible after all you can
use this expression in positive
sentences to like how it was okay after
all like the situation was okay after
all I was able to catch a taxi after all
so you can use this in positive and
negative expressions we usually use it
to talk about like kind of the opposite
of the plans like we were really worried
about something but it was okay after
all or I had a plan to do something but
I couldn’t do it after all
so that’s kind of the feeling with this
one so also last point for section one
today use the negative to talk about
plans the other person already knows
about so like if I say to you like
what’s something you’re going to do this
weekend or what’s something you might do
this weekend and you say I might not go
to your party or like I might not do
something else well I didn’t know about
that plan so it sounds strange that you
tell me something you’re not going to do
so we usually use the negative to
talk about plans the other person that
was about alright so this is part one
I’m going to check your examples now
Adriana on YouTube says I might not be
able to watch your kids good example
perfect nyla says I might go to the park
this coming weekend
excellent Khan Walid says I might not go
for an internship after exams because my
brother is coming next week from abroad
nice okay Henry says she might go to the
supermarket this Sunday perfect nice
grammar everybody on Facebook I don’t
see examples right now on Facebook uh
let me see I’ve got some lag maybe I
don’t know no examples on Facebook okay
uh maybe I missed some to Juby on
youtube says I may not be able to finish
this video because I’m about to leave
for work
oh great example all right example and
also you can watch this later it is
being recorded Lucas says I might not go
to the beach with my friends this
weekend
perfect Nicola says he might not go to
college tomorrow nice one nice one
Elton says I might run 10k this weekend
ooh nice what might I do I think I might
go surfing this weekend I’m actually I’m
probably that I’ll save that for the
next one I’ll save that for my next one
that’s my probable plan okay great very
nice examples everybody up some on
Facebook now a nice Facebook cell says I
might not be able to go to work tomorrow
cuz of the snow
oh it’s a snowy where you are and do
Yemi says I might go to a party tonight
good uh Phil says I’m sorry feely says I
might not go to work tomorrow so
remember this verb I might not
infinitive form so no ing form here I
might not go to work tomorrow good very
nice everybody okay let’s take a break
and then we’ll go to part two for
today’s lesson alright I will share over
here I chose a couple I chose a couple
pdf’s I don’t usually show you I think
these are the leisure time activities
pedia leisure time means free time your
free time activities this has on the
back some things that we do in our free
time so this is a great one I think to
practice today’s grammar point with like
I might stay home this weekend or I
might go to a concert this weekend so
this one has some vocabulary words for
your free time the things you may or may
not do in your free time you can check
this one out I also chose this one this
is the sports sports sports connect and
exercise media on the back of this of
course sorry at the bottom here there
are some sports you can talk about some
common sports but on the back again you
can find a list of physical activity
related phrases some of you were talking
about running 10k or going to the gym
that kind of thing so this is good for
maybe like physical physical activities
and so on so check this out check out
the other one I showed you too there’s a
whole bunch more I’ll try to show you a
couple more later but check this out you
can find this from the link below the
video if you’re watching on youtube or
above the video if you’re watching on
facebook so check them out there and
they are free and you need an account at
English class 101.com but it is free
after you make your account sign in and
go to the bottom of the page there’s a
link there to get this stuff for free
some of you have asked how to do that so
check that out and improve your
vocabulary okay ah great
so let’s go on to part 2 for today’s
lesson then if you’re just joining
today’s topic is how to talk about your
plans with may might and probably I just
talked about may and might so now I’m
going to talk about probably
yes if you are just joining to please
don’t forget to hit the like button make
sure to hit the thumbs up button and
share the video so that other learners
can find today’s lesson
Oh cute okey let’s go to parts two then
part two is about probably using
probably to describe your plans so I’m
off this feet let’s go let’s go over
here so let’s use probably now so
probably is used to describe a very high
chance of something in a positive
sentence in negative and negative
expressions then it describes a very low
chance of something so in this lesson
I’m going to talk about using probably
together with future tense with simple
future tense expressions so this is some
review may be the difference between
will and going to we can use probably
with will and going to to make our plans
a little bit more like specific to make
to express our plans more clearly yeah
so to make positive expressions with
probably we can say I will probably I’ll
probably so aisle this is the reduced
form the short form of I will I will
probably we don’t say I will probably
I’ll probably I’ll probably and we can
also use going to going to so if your
subject is I you can say I’m probably
going to I’m probably going to and also
note this going to in speech we usually
say gonna gonna also another point about
probably in very fast speech we don’t
really say probably we don’t say
probably really clearly
it sounds like don’t write this don’t
write this when you’re writing messages
but it sounds like prolly prolly so for
example when I say I’m probably going to
in every
speech I said I say I’m probably gonna
I’m probably gonna I’m probably gonna go
surfing this weekend that’s how it
sounds in everyday speech I do not say
I’m probably going to go surfing so keep
in mind we’ve reduced this expression a
lot I’m probably gonna something so we
use these to make positive expressions
for negatives then there are some things
to consider some things to think about
first when you use will you need to make
the negative so you you use will not the
reduced form is won’t won’t I probably
won’t so please note in the positive
it’s aisle probably yeah so I will
probably we don’t say I won’t probably
we say I probably won’t I probably won’t
do this thing I probably won’t go there
and when we use going to I’m probably
not going to so here the negative comes
before going to I’m probably not going
to so at native speed these sound like I
probably won’t do that or I’m probably
not going to do that I’m probably not
gonna do that so what is the difference
between will and going to very quickly a
quick reminder we use will for today’s
lesson we use will to talk about
decisions we make in the conversation so
if I decide something now like at a
restaurant thing I’m probably gonna I
don’t know
I’ll probably get this salad so I just
decided that at the restaurant if you
want to talk about something you decided
before the conversation it sounds a bit
more natural to say I’m probably going
to of course we can use going to to
express strong decisions we make in the
moment of speaking but this is kind of
an easy way to divide the two for today
so let’s look at some example sentences
that use this first I’m probably gonna
get dinner with a friend I’m probably
gonna get dinner I can use e to eat is
fine I’m probably gonna get dim
with a friend so again at native speed
this sentence sounds like I’m probably
gonna get dinner with a friend tonight
I’m probably gonna get dinner with a
friend tonight quite fast so we’re
reducing probably and gonna even more
I’m probably gonna I’m probably gonna
get dinner with a friend another
positive example this one with Eyal I
will probably finish work around 6:00
I’ll probably finish work around 6:00 at
native speed that sounds like I’ll
probably finish work around 6:00 I’ll
probably finish work around 6:00 so we
use this expression like when you’re
texting someone like you’re texting your
friend or like your girlfriend or
boyfriend or your family member and you
want to give them an update about your
time like your schedule you can say I’ll
probably finish work I’ll probably
finish work so work means your job you
could say school to I’ll probably finish
school around 6:00 so you can use this
expression to share your schedule
updates very useful ok on to a couple of
negative ones and please do remember we
can change the subject here so I focused
on using I as the subject but we can use
he he he’ll probably she’ll probably
wheel probably or he’s probably going to
remember your verb needs to change with
if your subject is he she or it here he
she or it is probably going to so some
examples he probably won’t have time for
a meeting today he probably won’t have
time for a meeting today
you’re talking about someone else’s
schedule here maybe like your boss or
your coworker he probably won’t he
probably won’t so this shows I’m
deciding now his schedule is pretty full
there’s a very low chance of a meeting
today there’s a very low chance of time
for a meeting today one more we’re
probably not going to go to the company
party we’re probably not going to go to
the company party a native speed this
sounds like we’re probably not gonna go
to the company party so very very
quickly reduce those sounds quite a lot
and if you like we’re probably not go
we can remove this part to the company
party we’re probably not going to the
company party it’s okay to use this
going when you’re using go when the verb
is going to are sorry when you’re using
going to and you’re using go after that
you can just remove that to go we’re
probably not going to the company party
that’s okay so how about you
what are you probably going to do this
weekend send in the chat what are you
probably going to do this weekend so
there are many people watching oh my
gosh okay lots of people out there hi
everybody uh her nesto on youtube says
I’m probably I’m probably gonna passed
the English reading text test next week
so when you use this one I’m probably
going to make sure going to comes after
probably so not I’m gonna probably but
I’m probably gonna I’m probably gonna
I’m probably gonna yeah deep breath says
I’m probably going to buy this book nice
Jessie Hussey hello I’m YouTube says
I’ll probably stay home to study English
on YouTube with Alisha’s lessons thank
you okay uh on Facebook uh Ali Asghar
hello I’m I’ll probably go to bed around
12:00 okay so make sure don’t mix so in
that example you have I’ll probably and
going to choose one I’ll probably go to
bed or I’m probably going to go to bed
only one or the other so don’t mix
Iolande going to there elephant says I’m
probably going to the moon this weekend
I don’t believe you okay let’s see Karim
says I he probably won’t go with us on a
picnic because he has hay fever bummer
bummer bummer means too bad bummer is do
people say bummer
yeah bummer means too bad I don’t know
if that’s the coolest word right now but
that
uh Julian says er SS I’m probably gonna
something on vacation don’t forget your
verb I’m probably going to you need a
verb at the end we’re making a verb
phrase here I’ll probably verb I’ll
probably I’m probably going to verb
don’t forget your verb there ah site on
YouTube says is it correct to say I
might or might not to show the actions
in a short way like maybe or maybe not
ah you mean like I might or I might not
yeah but it’s you’re you’re not making
any decision there really so you’re not
really communicating very much it just
shows that you haven’t decided something
in that situation if I understand your
question correctly I would probably just
say I don’t know yet I haven’t decided
yet I might I might not I don’t know
we’ll see so I that I probably would
just say I don’t know all right
on Facebook I’m probably going to listen
to your lesson says Mohammed whoo-hoo
thanks Richard says hello I’m playing
Final Fantasy seven okay that is cool
are you going to do that this weekend um
other ones I’m probably gonna take a
vacation take a vacation sounds a little
more natural in American English we tend
to say take a vacation with that verb
taken there I’m probably going to go
fishing this weekend going to go fishing
so don’t forget your verb here yeah I’ll
probably go I’m probably going to go hmm
all right let’s take one more extremely
short break and then I’ll introduce no
more grammar really a little bit of
grammar and then we’ll go to a few extra
expressions that you can use to express
your plans as well so what did I show
you earlier I showed you sports and I
showed you free time activities let’s
look at least very quickly I chose a
couple more of these move a couple more
of these free PDFs
over here to share with you I thought
these would be good for today’s lesson
the first one
this one is if you travel a lot I know a
lot of you are studying English to
improve your communication skills for
work and for business so if you are a
business traveler this is the hotel the
hotel one on the back here our questions
like what time is checkout is breakfast
included and stuff like that so you can
use similar phrases with today’s grammar
like I might have breakfast or I’ll
probably check out at something
something or I probably won’t go to the
I don’t know conference or something
like that in the conference hall I don’t
know so this I thought this would be
maybe a nice one to refer to of course
there’s other hotel vocabulary here and
one more this one is the dining one so
it’s is dining like a champ champ is
short for champion but this one has
expressions on the back for talking
about the food and then there’s also on
the front expressions to use when you
order as well so I just I mentioned one
of my example sentences was like I’ll
probably have or I’m probably gonna get
something something something when you
order at a restaurant so this might be
another nice one for you to check to
reviews so check this out
all of this stuff and lots more that I
did not and will not show you in depth
today you can find all of these from the
link below the video if you’re watching
on youtube or above the video if you’re
watching on facebook there’s a link
login with your account if you do not
have an account you can make a free
account and get this stuff if you’re
watching on Instagram sorry I can’t see
your comments live get the link on
YouTube or Facebook alrighty then let’s
go to the last point for today’s lesson
if you’re just joining at the end
today’s topic is talking about your
plans with May might and probably the
last part of today’s lesson will just
introduce a few other expressions that
are related to today’s topic of course
if you have not yet do make sure to like
and share today’s video so other people
can find it alright let’s go then to the
last group part 3 other expressions
uh this one first one there’s a chance
aisle there’s a chance aisle for example
there’s a chance I’ll see him this
weekend
or there is a chance we’ll get coffee
tomorrow so this the key here is there
is a chance aisle so we’re talking about
something that is not sure we are not at
all sure but we just want to express
something is possible there’s a chance
we’re not saying it’s high likelihood
we’re not saying it’s high possibility
we’re not saying low it’s I guess if I
had to choose I would say maybe 50%
there’s a chance aisle there’s a chance
aisle and verb probably infinitive form
there’s a chance I’ll see him there’s a
chance I’ll go there’s a chance I’ll do
something so don’t forget this will
reduced here and of course he’ll or
she’ll so you can express H simply a
chance when you want to express
possibility you can do that next one
when you want to be really formal I’ve
used this in emails from time to time
recently made me know this sounds a more
on the formal side there’s a slight
possibility I’m gonna have to okay so
I’ve combined a few things here the key
for this sentence really is slight
possibility slight possibility slight
means small there’s a slight possibility
possibility think of possibility is a
more formal or a more polite expression
for chance so this is like the this part
there’s a slight possibility something
something something is like a formal way
of saying there’s a chance of something
so there’s a slight possibility and then
here just for your reference I’m
introducing I’m
have to I’m going to have to so this is
expressing a future responsibility so
this is a little different from I have
to do something if I want to talk about
a future like maybe after a few things
maybe after a few days I’m going to have
to so I’m talking about a responsibility
maybe next week so this is different
from I have to teach a live stream and
maybe oh I’m gonna have to go to the
bank tomorrow Oh like we use this after
like some situation or some decision has
been made that changes our future plans
a bit so there’s a slight possibility
I’m gonna have to another way to say
this is there’s a chance that in the
future I will have this responsibility
for example there’s a slight possibility
I’m gonna have to cancel my reservation
or there’s a slight possibility I’m
gonna have to skip the meeting so some
usually there’s some change that changes
your future responsibilities ok those
long so let’s go to next I’m thinking
about verb in the ing form I’m thinking
about so thinking about means you have
not decided yet
but you just want to express your idea
to someone this one is useful when
you’re making plans hmm I’m thinking
about taking a vacation this weekend or
I’m thinking about going to that new
restaurant or I’m thinking about
checking out that movie do you want to
come
so you’re expressing just an idea here
I’m thinking about verb a verb in the
ing form your progressive or your
continuous form here Alfonzo says
probably I’m so I’m probably gonna go
I’m probably gonna go as the order so
you’re probably should go after I’m I’m
probably gonna go Andrew says there’s a
slight possibility I’ll speak at the
conference okay good nice one
other ones other ones I don’t see other
ones uh on Facebook says there’s a
chance I’ll go meet up with the teacher
meet up with meet up with someone
there’s a chance I’ll go meet up with
the teacher um okay
on to this one I’m debating I’m debating
between continuous verb and continuous
verb debating debating so a debate is a
discussion between two people like a
formal discussion opinion a and opinion
B discuss so when you say I’m debating
it means in your head in your mind you
have two ideas and you’re trying to
decide between the two of them I’m
debating between watching a movie at the
theater and staying home and cooking I’m
debating between going to Cambodia and
going to Thailand so when you’re trying
to decide between two things I’m
debating between continuous expression
continuous expression okay I’m extremely
late so the last one is maybe I’ll maybe
I’ll be careful with this sometimes I
hear students use maybe when they just
don’t know how to answer something so
maybe I’ll is used when you’re not sure
about something and you just want to
share an idea like maybe when I said
what are you going to do this weekend or
what something you might do this weekend
like oh no no maybe watch a movie or
maybe I’ll do something something so
maybe I’ll is really like I don’t know
this is just an idea it’s lower chance
than might I might watch a movie or
maybe I’ll maybe I’ll is a little lower
chance than positive might watch a movie
I might watch a movie or maybe I’ll
watch a movie it’s like this person
really doesn’t know yet they just want
to share an idea all right
I am six minutes late so let’s stop okay
I’ll end there there are a couple good
examples coming in Mahmud says I’m
debating between going to the gym and
working out at home so make sure that
second expression is also using a verb
in
continuous form I’m debating between
going to the gym and working out at home
and it’s perfect then it’s perfect I’m
debating between going to the movies and
playing video games is really perfect
nice job Charles says I’m debating
between improving my English or my
French ah that’s one case if your verb
is shared if you’re using the same verb
in both a and B you can drop the second
verb so I’m debating between improving
my English or my French because
improving is the same verb there all
right too much and I’m very late so I
have to stop thank you as always for
joining us live this week we’ll be back
again next week next week’s topic is how
to use will and would I always forget
likely I always forget next week I am
planning to talk about the differences
between will and wood and I think this
lesson is about using them for the
future so we’ll talk a little bit about
this will point that I described in part
2 of today’s lesson so join us live 9:00
p.m. Eastern Standard Time that is New
York City time if you do not know your
local time please google it or you can
set a notification on YouTube or
Facebook to make sure you do not miss
our lesson so please join us again next
week we will have a grand time also
don’t forget to download the free things
I talked about in today’s lesson you can
find them from the link below the video
on youtube or above the video on
facebook just login with your account
and get them so enjoy the rest of your
week thank you so much for liking and
sharing the video we all really really
appreciate it and we will see you again
very soon have a nice week have a nice
weekend bye bye