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Typical behaviour: can, could, may, might, will, would

can, could, may and might​

These verbs can be used to talk about typical behaviour and occurrences, in the sense of what is possible. May and might are a little more formal than can and could, and are common in scientific and academic language.

  • Amy can really get on your nerves.
  • Scotland can be very warm in summer.
  • In the days of sailing ships, a voyage round the world could take years.
  • A female crocodile may lay 30–40 eggs.
  • The flowers may have five or six petals, red or white in colour.
  • In those days, a man might be hanged for stealing a sheep.

will and would​

These verbs can also describe typical behaviour, often in the sense of what is habitual or regular.

  • She’ll sit talking to herself for hours.
  • When you look at clouds they will often remind you of animals.
  • If something breaks down and you kick it, it will often start working again.
  • Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
  • Sulphuric acid will dissolve most metals.
  • Sometimes he would bring me little presents without saying why.
  • On Sundays when I was a child we would all get up early and go fishing.
  • Every summer he would go away for a month, without saying where or why.

Criticisms: She will fall in love with the wrong people.​

Stressed will and would can be used to criticise people’s behaviour.

  • She will fall in love with the wrong people.
  • Well, if you will keep telling people what you think of them …
  • He was a nice boy, but he would talk about himself all the time.

Would can be used to criticise a single past action, with the suggestion ‘That’s typical of you/him, etc’.

  • You would tell Emily about the party – I didn’t want to invite her.