May and Might
May - Formal Permission
Asking Permission (formal)
- May I come in?
- May I ask you a question?
- May I leave early today?
Giving Permission
- You may use my office.
- Students may leave after the exam.
- Visitors may take photographs.
Refusing Permission
- You may not enter without permission.
- Guests may not use the pool after 10 pm.
- Children may not watch this film.
May vs. Can for Permission
| May (formal) | Can (informal) |
|---|---|
| May I be excused? | Can I go? |
| May I have a word? | Can I talk to you? |
| Students may not smoke. | You can’t smoke here. |
May - Possibility
Present or Future Possibility
- It may rain tomorrow.
- She may come to the party.
- The store may be closed.
- I may be late.
Negative Possibility
- He may not know about this.
- They may not agree with us.
- The plan may not work.
Might - Possibility
Less Certain Than May
- It might rain later. (less certain)
- She might call you. (less likely)
- This might be wrong. (uncertain)
Past Possibility (unfulfilled)
- I might have left my keys at work.
- She might have forgotten.
- They might have been busy.
May vs. Might for Possibility
| May | Might |
|---|---|
| 50% possibility | 30% possibility |
| I may go. | I might go. |
| It may happen. | It might happen. |
Note: In everyday speech, they are often used interchangeably.
Common Expressions
May well / Might well
- He may well be the best candidate. (probably)
- This might well be our last chance.
May/Might as well
- We might as well stay. (no reason not to)
- You may as well tell me. (why not?)
Might in Conditional Sentences
- If you studied, you might pass.
- If I won the lottery, I might travel the world.
- If she asked nicely, he might help.
May and might both express possibility, but might suggests a smaller chance. In formal English, may is preferred for permission requests over can: “May I come in?” sounds more polite than “Can I come in?”