UrbanPro
Login Ask & Answer Success Stories Paid Courses Free Classes Tuition & Classes Fees Write a Review All Categories Help Center
Post your Learning Need Signup as a Tutor
✕

Popular Cities

Bangalore

Hyderabad

Delhi

Mumbai

Chennai

Pune

Kolkata

Gurgaon

Ahmedabad

Jaipur

Noida

✕

Learn Spoken English from the Best Tutors

  • Affordable fees
  • 1-1 or Group class
  • Flexible Timings
  • Verified Tutors

Book a Free Demo

Spoken English > Learn Spoken English > In questions, when to use can and may?
✕

Search in

In questions, when to use can and may?

Asked by Last Modified  

8 Answers

Learn Spoken English

Follow 0
Answer

Please enter your answer

Mechanical Engineer

Can is used in the context of questioning the possibility or ability of something or someone, as in "can you fly?," "can you swim?," " can this happen?," can you please lend me some money?" whereas may is used in such cases when seeking permission as in "may I know your name please?" "may I go?" ...
read more
Can is used in the context of questioning the possibility or ability of something or someone, as in "can you fly?," "can you swim?," " can this happen?," can you please lend me some money?" whereas may is used in such cases when seeking permission as in "may I know your name please?" "may I go?" Also when you are trying to be more formal, you can use 'may' instead of 'can' read less
Comments
Dislike Bookmark

Excellence Award Winner ( 7 times )

we use "may" to ask for permission or to grant permission, we use "will" or "can" when we want to ask someone to do something
Comments
Dislike Bookmark

English Language Expert

Use May and Can with I to ask for permission to do something: May I come in? (formal) Can I come in? (informal) Could I come in? (informal but more polite than 'can') Can you wait for a minute? (request) Could you wait for a minute? (request, more polite than 'can') Can you complete the...
read more
Use May and Can with I to ask for permission to do something: May I come in? (formal) Can I come in? (informal) Could I come in? (informal but more polite than 'can') Can you wait for a minute? (request) Could you wait for a minute? (request, more polite than 'can') Can you complete the project by 20th? (Is it possible?) Can refers to possibility here and not request. read less
Comments
Dislike Bookmark

communication and soft skills trsiner

hi, Swarna In English helping verbs help a lot in speaking especially you're asking "may"&"can". 1. MAY :- is used for uncertainty things (chances of happening mean while probability ) for example : It may rain today. We are going to trip, you may also join with us. tell me your problem. we may...
read more
hi, Swarna In English helping verbs help a lot in speaking especially you're asking "may"&"can". 1. MAY :- is used for uncertainty things (chances of happening mean while probability ) for example : It may rain today. We are going to trip, you may also join with us. tell me your problem. we may find out solution( he is not sure of finding out a solution but probably it may or may not ). 2.CAN :- ability to do things for example : I can speak a good English ( means you have a capability of speaking a good English ). we can definitely solve your problem . if you think, you can also learn any foreign language. can you give me Rd. 5000? wish you all the best Swarna regards Veena Acharya English trainer read less
Comments
Dislike Bookmark

learn with a smile

'Can' implies ability. .'May'asks for permission .
Comments
Dislike Bookmark

Success Coach , helping you to achieve your dreams & aspirations

can - I CAN do it. (affirmation to mind and self) may- I may go for vacation (state of confusion or not sure. )
Comments
Dislike Bookmark

Can & May both are auxiliary (helping) verbs. 'May' is used for permission in a formal way,i.e when you are taking permission from your teachers,person of higher designation,higher authorities,parents etc. E.g- May I come in? 'Can' is used for taking permission in an informal way,i.e when talking...
read more
Can & May both are auxiliary (helping) verbs. 'May' is used for permission in a formal way,i.e when you are taking permission from your teachers,person of higher designation,higher authorities,parents etc. E.g- May I come in? 'Can' is used for taking permission in an informal way,i.e when talking to your friends,colleagues,juniors,etc. E.g-Can I use your pen? read less
Comments
Dislike Bookmark

Tutor

Modal Can They can control their own budgets. We can’t fix it. Can I smoke here? Can you help me? Used for Ability / Possibility Inability / Impossibility Asking for permission Request Could Could I borrow your dictionary? Could you say it again more slowly? We could try to fix it ourselves. I...
read more
Modal Can They can control their own budgets. We can’t fix it. Can I smoke here? Can you help me? Used for Ability / Possibility Inability / Impossibility Asking for permission Request Could Could I borrow your dictionary? Could you say it again more slowly? We could try to fix it ourselves. I think we could have another Gulf War. He gave up his old job so he could work for us. Used for Asking for permission. Request Suggestion Future possibility Ability in the past May May I have another cup of coffee? China may become a major economic power. Used for Asking for permission Future possibility Might We'd better phone tomorrow, they might be eating their dinner now. They might give us a 10% discount. Present possibility Future possibility Must We must say good-bye now. They mustn’t disrupt the work more than necessary. Used for Necessity / Obligation Prohibition read less
Comments
Dislike Bookmark

View 6 more Answers

Related Questions

What is the first step for learn supreme English?
First Start under sting tenses and then go further with small stories and learn new word daily
Vikas
What is best syllabus to teach spoken English?
A strong spoken English syllabus should include vocabulary and grammar basics, pronunciation practice, conversation skills, listening comprehension, and public speaking. Incorporate interactive activities...
I T Roxaana
When someone carries a heavy box, can he say "it's a real pain" in spoken English?
Yes. That is appropriate usage. Anything that is inconvenient can be "a real pain". For instance, it's a real pain to study for this test OR it's a real pain to get up this early.
Surabhi
0 0
6
Give an example of an antonym for the word "hot."
Cold
Devi
0 0
8
Which is right to say: "It is a coward who dare not recognize the Lord's name in front of others" or "He is a coward who dare not …"?
He is a coward... is the right one since you have used "who", the subject is supposed to be "he". Only if you have used "which" then the subject becomes "it"
Indu
0 0
5

Now ask question in any of the 1000+ Categories, and get Answers from Tutors and Trainers on UrbanPro.com

Ask a Question

Related Lessons

Simple present tense
NEGATIVE QUESTIONS (WH?) STRUCTURE: Wh + don’t/doesn’t + Subject + verb – 1st form + object? Note: Which/whose + object 1 + don’t/doesn’t + subject + verb – 1st...

Ashwini B.

0 0
0
Four Forms Of Verbs
V1 Present form V2 Past form V3 Present participle V4 Past participle 1. Break Broke Broken Breaking 2....

Kurapati M.

1 0
0
How to speak fluently in English? (Contd...)
3. Stay in touch with the language:The most important thing that you can do is to be in the contact with language 24/7. Speak with your friends, family or colleagues in English. Make English your staple...

Urvi Shah

6 0
0
Office use of Present Perfect and Simple Present
At the office we are challenged when we have to use the tenses. I thought," let me help you out, then." Present Perfect Tense: I have decided to move on. I have promoted you to the next level. I...
R

Rodney Lewis

0 0
0
Building Vocabulary
A good way to build vocabulary Rules Target 126 words Time yourself : 5mins No proper nouns No repeated words No connected words No spelling mistakes. Take a letter of the Alphabet and write...
E

Elvina Carr

0 0
0

Recommended Articles

Learning foreign language in India

If you think English is enough to communicate with anybody in this world, you are sadly misinformed. Statistically the highest spoken foreign language in the world is Chinese with 20.7%, followed by English at 6.2%. That means that 93.8% of people do not speak English. This makes it necessary to learn another foreign language...

Read full article >

Choosing the right Foreign Language to learn...

When globalization was out of picture, it was enough to know just the mother tongue. Since globalization and out-sourcing have become part of life, there is a nagging need to learn new languages. Foreign languages help us to communicate with potential clients, sell our ideas and bond with their culture. It could be opening...

Read full article >

Job Prospects for German Language Learners

Due to globalization of the Indian economy, the demand for learning foreign languages is on the rise. ITES (Information Technology Enabled Service) and Outsourcing have brought a lot of job opportunities paving the way for the learning foreign languages. German is the native language of more than 100 million people in...

Read full article >

Which language is more useful to learn French...

Learning any second language could be a little bit tricky. However, to learn a language, one needs to write, read, understand and speak it appropriately. Therefore, many students and professionals find it helpful in learning a foreign language from a reputable and reliable source. A second language helps them to increase...

Read full article >

Find Spoken English classes near you
Spoken English classes in Delhi
Spoken English classes in Bangalore
Spoken English classes in Hyderabad
Spoken English classes in Chennai
Spoken English classes in Mumbai
Spoken English classes in Kolkata
Spoken English classes in Pune
Spoken English classes in Noida
Spoken English classes in Gurgaon
Spoken English classes in Lucknow
Online Spoken English Classes

Looking for Spoken English classes?

Learn from the Best Tutors on UrbanPro

Are you a Tutor or Training Institute?

Join UrbanPro Today to find students near you
X

Looking for Spoken English Classes?

The best tutors for Spoken English Classes are on UrbanPro

  • Select the best Tutor
  • Book & Attend a Free Demo
  • Pay and start Learning

Learn Spoken English with the Best Tutors

The best Tutors for Spoken English Classes are on UrbanPro

This website uses cookies

We use cookies to improve user experience. Choose what cookies you allow us to use. You can read more about our Cookie Policy in our Privacy Policy

Accept All
Decline All

UrbanPro.com is India's largest network of most trusted tutors and institutes. Over 55 lakh students rely on UrbanPro.com, to fulfill their learning requirements across 1,000+ categories. Using UrbanPro.com, parents, and students can compare multiple Tutors and Institutes and choose the one that best suits their requirements. More than 7.5 lakh verified Tutors and Institutes are helping millions of students every day and growing their tutoring business on UrbanPro.com. Whether you are looking for a tutor to learn mathematics, a German language trainer to brush up your German language skills or an institute to upgrade your IT skills, we have got the best selection of Tutors and Training Institutes for you. Read more

ThinkVidya Learning Pvt Ltd © 2010-2025 All Rights Reserved