Section 2 — The Framework Grammar focus

Session 7 Grammar: Hedging with modals to express uncertainty and omission

Modal verbs like "may", "might", and "could" are the journalist's tool for signalling unverified information — and the critical reader's clue that something important may be missing.

Grammar Focus

[Subject] + [may / might / could] + [base verb] OR [It is possible that] + [subject + verb]

Modal verbs allow speakers to express degrees of certainty. In journalism, they protect against legal liability and signal epistemic caution — the reporter knows something is claimed but cannot confirm it. "May" is less certain than "will"; "might" is even less certain; "could" often signals the most speculative range. When you see these modals, ask: What does the journalist actually know? And what are they not telling us? The modal is often the shadow of an omission — something that should be confirmed but has not been.

"The minister may resign before the end of the week." (possible but unconfirmed — the reporter has a tip but no confirmation)

"Thousands of jobs could be at risk if the merger goes ahead." (speculative — no actual job loss has occurred yet)

"The company might have known about the safety issues months earlier." (past possibility — raises suspicion without making a direct accusation)

"There may be survivors, but access to the area remains restricted." (uncertainty created by omission — the information is simply unavailable)

"Officials could face criminal charges, according to legal experts." (hedged even further by attribution to unnamed experts)

"The true scale of the crisis may never be known." (signals a permanent gap in the record — a structural omission)

Variations to practice

it is possible that... there is a chance that... it cannot be ruled out that... X may well have... X might not have been aware that... it could be argued that...