Modal verbs are a pain in the ass

The answer is definitely "might". I wish I could tell you why. What i can tell you is that the whole sentence is ass. No one speaks like that. It would be more like "it looks cloudy today. It might rain." Outside is already implied because we're talking about clouds and rain. There are actually a lot of ways to convey this meaning, all of which are infinitely better than "it might rain outside". I really wish people teaching English actually knew what they were doing. I see so many posts in here of people confused because the material they're being taught makes no sense and their teachers double down on it. So frustrating!

My preference is for "might" in this sentence. "May" and "could" are also completely viable. "Can" is definitely wrong, though

ChatGPT is your friend. **May** So the full sentence would be: **"It is cloudy. It may rain outside."** Explanation: "May" is used to express a possibility, which fits best with the context of uncertain weather. "Might" also works, but "may" is slightly more common in this kind of general prediction. "Can" implies ability, and "could" is a bit more hypothetical.

That's just an awkward sentence. Saying "outside" seems weird to me. Where else would it rain? Not to mention that it being cloudy doesn't necessarily portend rain. It might just be overcast.

It might rain, or it could rain. I wouldn't say outside

"May" and "could" both technically work grammatically. But "might" is the most natural. "May" doesn't really make sense here cause "may" implies permission, like it's "allowed" to rain. "Can" implies ability to rain and "Could" implies potential ability. As in it has the ability to rain. And you wouldn't usually use that for things that don't have "abilities". "Might" is the only one that implies probability and no other agency from the clouds or weather. That said, you might occasionally hear native speakers use might and could interchangeably here as the nuance between the two is relatively minor and people would understand your meaning either way. Also it's a little awkward to specify "outside" as that's the default for rain. If you say "It might rain" it's assumed to be outside.

Why the fuck would it rain inside?

In my initial take in this specific post, it is not the modal verbs, as such, that are causing the problem. It it the relation of the second sentence to the first which causes uncertainty about which verb to insert in the second sentence. If one removes the first sentence, all presented answers are correct. The second sentence is intended to be read in conjunction with the first. I would ordinarily use a semicolon rather than a period or full stop in similar constructions, but would generally be perceived as being overly pedantic in so doing and therefore avoid them. Might and could would appear at first to be entirely correct, such that either may be used, but can they both be considered equivalent? ***(like the way I did that?)*** The mood is subjunctive. Therefore the only verb which qualifies is "could".

When using these modal verbs to express possibility/probability you need to use ‘may/might/could’ for specific events and ‘can’ for non-specific events. Here are two examples: 1) I don’t know where the boss is but she may/might/could be in her office. (Specific event) 2) It can rain a lot in the wet season. (Non-specific event)

It's another terrible question, with multiple "correct" answers. Ignore it.

Guys I'm sorry I didn't clarify properly. It is a previous year question in Indian exams. I was unable to find a correct answer on Google so I asked reddit. Thank you all who gave me answer. Also, I am not able to answer everybody as I'm studying for my exam 😭. Our exams are based on BRITISH ENGLISH if it makes any difference in the answer. P.s.- why are people downvoting the post?? THE WORD 'OUTSIDE' IS GIVEN IN THE QUESTION!! it's not my fault 😔 I just need a clear answer.

Basically all correct but you don’t really use “Can” in a sentence like that.

These all work.

This is a nonsense test. No real speaker would ever say... "It may/might/could rain outside". OUTSIDE? Where else would it rain?