Question
1. He may not be rich.
2. He can not be rich.
(Are both the same or different? If they are different, why is that?)
2. He can not be rich.
(Are both the same or different? If they are different, why is that?)
Answers
brenda
they are different because may gives a chance of it being a probability and writting can not is a statement and can not is more impulsive to say.
Writeacher
Brenda is right. Those sentences are not exactly alike.
"may" means there's a <b>possibility</b> of the statement's being true.
"can" means he is <b>able</b> to do or be something.
These sentences have "not" in them, of course, making them negative.
"may" means there's a <b>possibility</b> of the statement's being true.
"can" means he is <b>able</b> to do or be something.
These sentences have "not" in them, of course, making them negative.