Modal verbs may, might generally describe the theoretical probability of an event under certain conditions. These conditions may be the desire or unwillingness of one of the participants in the events, the possibility of committing in terms of laws, norms, rules, etiquette and other circumstances. As a rule, the statement takes the form of an assumption or assumption. Both verbs can express probability and resolution. In addition, they may indicate the obviousness of some action as the most predictable in the prevailing conditions. There are also areas in which it is permissible to put a certain verb. Thus, the modal verb may expresses permission. Permission here refers to permissiveness, not permission or a request for permission. The verb might helps to make an assumption, for example, as a guess or one's attitude to the implementation of an idea.
At the same time, may and might can not only refer to some hypotheticalsituations in the future, but also used at any time (although the modal verb itself does not contain indications of time).
May, might vs. can, could
Such verbs in English as can and could are similar in meaning, but in most cases they express the individual ability of the character to do certain actions. Often in the same sentence you can put both may, might, and can, could. In many situations, the use of may, might is due to the need for a more restrained tone. These verbs in English serve as indicators of formality. This is appropriate, for example, in a business conversation with partners and colleagues, when communicating with unfamiliar people or in delicate situations. In colloquial speech, more often you can still meet can and could.
Probability
The verbs may, might say that we are not sure whether something is possible, but nevertheless we tend to believe that such a scenario is very likely, based on our personal motives, from external conditions, schedules, general patterns or habits. It can be noted that usually it is not doubt that outweighs, but the predictive component. The verb could has a similar usage, but is used more informally.
- He might come / He might come.
- They may help us / They can help us.
- That could be one reason
When composing a negation, the particle not refers in meaning to the next part rather than tomay or might.
- He might not be in England at all.
- They might not get a house with central heating.
When you want to express that some event probably happened in the past, but you are not sure about it, you can use may have, might have, the verb following them is put in the past participle form.
- You may have noticed this advertisement
- He might not have seen me.
- They may not have done it.
Also might have followed by the past participle can express that if a certain event took place, then there would be an opportunity for some other event.
- She said it might have been all right, if the weather had been good. (But the weather wasn't good, so it wasn't all right.) / She said that everything could be all right if the weather was good. (But the weather wasn't good, so it wasn't okay.)
Permission
May / may not are used to say that someone is allowed / not allowed to do certain things.
- They may do exactly as they like.
- The retailer may not sell that book below the publisher's price.
Permission
Also,through these verbs, you can allow to do something.
- You may speak / You can speak.
- You may leave as soon as you have finished
Or ask for permission (although might is rare in today's language).
- May I have a cigarette? / Can I have a cigarette?
- Might I inquire if you are the owner? / May I ask if you are the owner?
Being modal, the verbs may, might always come first in the predicate, require a verb in the base form after themselves, do not have -s, -ing and -ed forms, do not indicate the time of what is happening, Since there cannot be more than one modal verb in one predicate, the second modal verb is replaced by a word similar in meaning, often it is a “seven-modal” verb. Replace might can, for example, to be likely to.
- Your husband might have to give up work / Your husband might have to give up work.
- He will be likely to come.
If you want to take the following verb not in the base form, but in -ing, past participle or to-infinitive, the verbs may, might cannot be used. Can be supplied as a replacement, for example, be allowed to.
- I am strongly in favor of people being allowed to put on plays.
- They have going to be allowed to travel on the trains.
Guess
To make a very polite, delicate, or cautious suggestion, the verb might inEnglish can be used in conjunction with like or want.
- I thought perhaps you might like to come along with me
- You might want to try another shop.
Or with It might be and a noun, adjective or to-infinitive group.
- I think it might be a good idea to stop recording now.
- It might be wise to get a new car.
Clearness
Such expressions as may as well and might as well help to express an assumption for action, based on reasonableness and justification, or for the common reason “why not”. It usually has a rational character, but also, depending on the situation, quite often takes on a skeptical or slightly derisive character. Expressions close in meaning are “to be able, as an option, …”, “to be able with the same success.”
- You may as well open them all
- He might as well take the car
Abbreviations
As with many functional words, to save time and paper when making negatives, the particle not can be reduced to n’t with an apostrophe and added to the verb. However, abbreviations for may and might are not as popular as, for example, forlinking verb be. Probably, this happened due to the specifics of the semantic load of the negative particle in conditional revolutions. If the essence of the sentence is the theoretical impossibility of an event, not automatically falls under stress, and accented particles are usually not used in a truncated form. Sometimes might not is shortened to mightn't. The modal verb may not shortens to mayn't extremely rarely in modern language
