May has the following forms:
May - the present tense; e.g. it may be truth
Might – the past tense. This form is used in 3 ways:
- in past-time contexts, mainly in reported speech according to the rule of the Sequence of tenses; He told me it might be true.
- in present-time context as a milder and more polite form of may or as a form implying more uncertainty than may: It might be true.
- to express unreality (only with the perfect infinitive):He might have fallen ill if he hadn’t taken the pill.
The expressions to be allowed and to be permitted can be used to supply the missing forms of the verb may in the meaning of permission: they haven’t been allowed to come.
MEANINGS OF MAY:
1. possibility, absence of obstacles to the action (=CAN): We may/can expect them any minute
2. permission(=CAN): You may go home.
3. asking for permission(=CAN): May I smoke there?
4. very sharp prohibition: You may not smoke here.
5. request or suggestion: You might bring me the paper, Mary. There’s a good girl.
6. reproach (=COULD): You might have brought her some flowers. It was her birthday.
7. doubt, supposition bordering on uncertainty:
Someone may have seen her leaving the building.
NOTES
1. In the meaning of possibility may is used only in affirmative sentences and is followed only by the indefinite infinitive.
The form might is used in past-time contexts according to the rule of the sequence of tenses.
Might followed by the perfect infinitive indicates that the action was not carried out: You are so careless. You might have broken the cup.
2. May in the meaning of permission is found in affirmative sentences and in questions (in more formal situations than can). In negative sentences it denotes very sharp prohibition. In these meaning may is always followed by the indefinite infinitive. In reported speech might is used: He asked me if he might joint us.
3. Only the form might followed be the indefinite infinitive is used to express request (mostly ironic) or suggestion in affirmative sentences. Might followed by the perfect infinitive expresses reproach for the failure to perform an action.
4.May in the meaning of supposition, uncertainty is used with any form of the infinitive in affirmative and negative sentences. The indefinite infinitive after may refers the action to the future:
When we express doubt about an action in the present we mostly use the Continuous infinitive after may(with the exception of such verbs as to love, to know, etc. that are not used in the continuous form): they may be living in the country(NOW). They may live in the country (at some future time).
Might doesn’t refer uncertainty to the past. (It expresses greater doubt)To refer a doubt to the past may is combined with the perfect infinitive.
5. We can make the doubt stronger by using more and more emphatic expressions. They may be meeting in secret. They might be meeting in secret. Can they be meeting in secret? They can’t be meeting in secret.
6. Note the following set phrases with may and might: May/might sa well+infinitive is a very mild and unemphatic way of expressin an intention. It may be used to suggest or recommend an action. You may as well send him a letter.
Might just as well+infinitive means “it would be equally good to…”and is used to suggest alternative actions: I’l go at 6. That’s far too late. You might just as well not go at all.
It might have been worse means “Things are not so bad after all”
