每课一句：新概念英语第1册第131课
【往期回顾】
接下来，我们就来看看第131课的“每课一句”。
一、课文原文
Lesson 131 Don’t be so sure
Where are you going to spend your holidays this year, Gary?
We may go abroad. I’m not sure. My wife wants to go to Egypt. I’d like to go there, too. We can’t make up our minds.
Will you travel by sea or by air?
We may travel by sea.
It’s cheaper, isn’t it?
It may be cheaper, but it takes a long time.
I’m sure you will enjoy yourselves.
Don’t be so sure. We might not go anywhere. My wife always worries too much.
Who’s going to look after the dog?
Who’s going to look after the house?
Who’s going to look after the garden?
We have this problem every year. In the end, we stay at home and look after everything!
——选自《新概念英语》第一册，外语教学与研究出版社，1997年10月第1版
二、每课一句
We may go abroad.
本课继续学习情态动词表猜测的用法，但本课侧重的是may表猜测的用法。
当may表猜测时，意思是“可能”，其可能性相对must和can't来说更小，但它既可以用于肯定猜测，也能用于否定猜测，而且可以用于对不同时间发生的状态或动作的猜测。
一、对现在时间
其基本用法为：
状态：主语+may+be+形容词/名词/短语
动作：主语+may be doing
如：
He may be tired.
He may be a teacher.
He may be at home now.
He may be sleeping at home now.
二、对将来时间
其基本用法为：
状态：主语+may+be+形容词/名词/短语
动作：主语+may do
如：
He may be in Italy next week.
He may go there on foot tomorrow.
三、对过去时间
其基本用法为：
状态：主语+may+have been+形容词/名词/短语
动作：主语+may+have been doing
如：
He may have been tired.
He may have been a teacher.
He may have been at home just now.
He may have been sleeping at home yesterday afternoon.
【注意】
1、当表对过去的动作的猜测的时候，如果不强调该动作的持续进行，而是强调过去做过某事的话，其用法为：
sb. may have done
如：
He may have done this to everybody.
也许他对每个人都这样做了。
For all I know, he may have left for Canada.
就我所知，他可能已去了加拿大。
2、may的否定只要在它后面加上not即可。如：
She may not come here this afternoon.
她今天下午也许不来这儿了。
三、更多拓展
We might not go anywhere.
注意might是may的过去式，但往往不表过去，而是表达更为委婉的语气。
比如，原文中的这句话，并不是表示“我们”过去可能不会去任何地方旅游，而是表达将来可能不会去任何地方旅游。
