Lesson 19-- MAY and MIGHT

(19) MAY and MIGHT

1) We use may or might to show that something may happen now or in the future. After these words (may and might) we must put an infinitive form of a verb without “to”.

Example: I think it may rain tonight.

                 I may be late tonight; I am not sure.

                 He might send the parcel by mail.

2) A sentence in which may or might is the main verb.

Example: You may fall off that branch.

                 You might fall off that branch.

We can use might to show that we are more doubtful. If we are fairly sure that you will fall off the branch, we can say, “You may fall off …” If we are not so sure, we can say, “You might fall off …”

3) A sentence in which the main verb often comes before may or might.

Example: I think you may fall off that branch.

                 I thought you might fall off that branch.

The sequence of tenses is very important. If the main verb is in a past tense and the action refers to the past, we must use might.

4) We do not use may or might when we ask a question about something which may happen in the future. Imagine that we want to ask whether a branch will break. We can use these questions:

Do you think that branch will break?

Will that branch break?

When we are asking about a doubtful event in the future, the form with Do you think is more common.

5) We can use may/might + have + a past participle to express doubt in the past. In this way we can speak about something that may have happened already.

Example: She may have gone out / She may have gone to the market.

                 He might have gone for a swim.

Might can be used instead of may to express a greater degree of doubt. It must be used when the main verb is in a past tense.