May and might
We use the modal verbs
- I'm not sure I'll go to the party. I may be away.
- Don't drop by at 7:20 PM. I might be watching TV.
- Please, prepare something to eat. Mr. Johnson might be hungry.
- We may not be able to go to school this week.
There isn't much difference between the two. So you can say:
- "John might be at home" or "John may be at home".
- "I may visit Mary" or "I might visit Mary".
Likelihood
Sentences formed with
- I may be away at 10 PM. (35% likelihood)
- I might be away at 10 PM. (20% likelihood)
Unreal Situations
However, when the situation is unreal, only
- If I were a bit smarter, I might go to college. (The speaker won't become smarter, so the situation is unreal)
Continuos Form
If you want to emphasize progression of a situation, you may use the continuous form of the verb after the modal.
- Don't drop by at 7:20 PM. I may/might be watching TV.
Reported Speech
If you're using the reported speech,
- "I may be late," said Frank. In reported speech: Frank said that he might be late.
Read about Modals in the Reported Speech.
Comments
What is the basic diffrence between them ?
Sentences formed with might are less likely to happen than those with may. For example:
I may be away at 10 p.m. (35% likelihood)
I might be away at 10 p.m. (20% likelihood)
Of course, these figures may vary depending on the situation.
hi, thanks for the explanation. I have some questions:
- when writing essays/reports, do I use may or might? (since there isn't much diff btwn them)
- if I choose to use "may," do I use it throughout the essay for consistency, or I can use "might" at the same time (use "may" or "might" depending on the likelihood?)
Is this sentence correct?
He may take the medicine because he might fall asleep. (does the use of may and might here refers to the difference in likelihood?)
thank you!
I think there is no problem with using "may" and "might" throughout the essay.
>He may take the medicine because he might fall asleep. (does the use of may and might here refers to the difference in likelihood?)
"may" can also mean "is allowed."
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