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Is there any difference in meaning between the modal verbs in these examples? Do only "may" and "might" express prediction, while "could" expresses that something is not impossible? Is there any difference in meaning between them?

  1. "It could rain tonight."

  2. "It may rain tonight."

  3. "It might rain tonight."

In Betty Schrampfer Azar's "Understanding and Using English Grammar" the degrees of possibilities are expressed by percent. For example, less than 50% certainty is expressed by "might" and "may" and "could". "Where's John?" He could/may/might be at the library." Is there any difference in meaning between them in this example too?

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There's no real difference in meaning among those verbs, either in your example or Azar's.

The tone of the speaker's voice would communicate better how certain they think it is than their choice of modal verb.

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  • But are there other cases where there is a difference in meaning between modals? For example; "The phone is ringing. Can/could it be Tim?" And in other examples too, "Can/could learning a language be difficult?" "Could/can I take a train here?" Do "Can" and "could" have the same meaning?
    – Antonia A
    Jul 27, 2021 at 9:14
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    I see a slight difference - 'Can [it] be difficult?' = 'Do some people find it difficult?' / 'Could [it] be difficult?' = 'Is it likely I would find it difficult?'.
    – Kate Bunting
    Jul 27, 2021 at 9:36
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    @AntoniaA In most cases, modal verbs have different meanings. It's outside the scope of this site, let alone the comment section, to detail them all
    – gotube ♦
    Jul 28, 2021 at 4:23
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    @AntoniaA Swan's Practical English Usage is the best reference book I'm familiar with for grammar nuances. I've never seen one just for modal verbs. Swan does have a series of grammar course books, but I'm not familiar with them
    – gotube ♦
    Jul 28, 2021 at 15:17
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    @LEHANH It's the same answer. All three are possible, and the tone of voice would create a bigger difference in meaning than the word choice. It is not true that native speakers wouldn't use "could" in that context.
    – gotube ♦
    Apr 27 at 3:41

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