TextRanch

The best way to perfect your writing.

Discover why 1,062,726 users count on TextRanch to get their English corrected!

1. Input your text below.
2. Get it corrected in a few minutes by our editors.
3. Improve your English!

One of our experts will correct your English.

Our experts

I thought he might be busy vs I thought he could be busy

Both phrases are correct and can be used interchangeably. They express the same idea that the speaker had a belief or assumption about someone's busyness in the past.

Last updated: March 20, 2024 • 1201 views

I thought he might be busy

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

This phrase is used to express a past assumption or belief about someone's busyness. 'Might' indicates a possibility or likelihood.

Examples:

  • I thought he might be busy, so I didn't call him.
  • She thought he might be busy with work.
  • I walked by his office one day and the door was open and I didn't speak as I thought he might be busy. He was not to busy to call me back and ask why I didn't  ...
  • Sep 14, 2015 ... At first I thought he might be busy with the organization branching out into CSGO and HoTS but seems both those teams disbanded already.
  • I thought he might be busy because of the holidays but had my husband call him from a different phone. He answered and my husband started to make ...
  • I laughed and told him I thought he might be busy, given we had qualifying races that morning. He replied that we are a team and, if one teammate needs help, ...

Alternatives:

  • I thought he could be busy
  • I thought he may be busy
  • I thought he might have been busy
  • I thought he could have been busy
  • I thought he may have been busy

I thought he could be busy

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

This phrase is also used to express a past assumption or belief about someone's busyness. 'Could' suggests a possibility or ability.

Examples:

  • I thought he could be busy, so I didn't disturb him.
  • She thought he could be busy with his family.
  • That was surprise because I thought he could be busy, but he made his time for me! I really appreciated that! Genta is my friend from United States, and we had ...

Alternatives:

  • I thought he might be busy
  • I thought he may be busy
  • I thought he might have been busy
  • I thought he could have been busy
  • I thought he may have been busy

Related Comparisons

What Our Customers Are Saying

Our customers love us! We have an average rating of 4.79 stars based on 283,125 votes.
Also check out our 2,100+ reviews on TrustPilot (4.9TextRanch on TrustPilot).

Why choose TextRanch?

Lowest prices
Up to 50% lower than other online editing sites.

Fastest Times
Our team of editors is working for you 24/7.

Qualified Editors
Native English experts for UK or US English.

Top Customer Service
We are here to help. Satisfaction guaranteed!