May and Might (2)

May and Might (2) May and might are used to mention possible actions or happenings in the future. I haven't decided yet where to spend my holidays. I may go to Cameroon. ==> Maybe I will go to Cameroon. Take an umbrella with you when you go out. It might rain later. ==> Maybe it will rain The bus doesn't always come on time. We might have to wait a few minutes. ==> Maybe we will have to wait. The negative forms are: for may ==> may not; Example: Jazz may not come to the party tonight. She isn't good. ==> Maybe she will not come. There might not be a meeting on Thursday, because the managing director is sick. ==> Maybe there will not be a meeting. P.S.: In fact, it really doesn't matter whether you use may or might. It's all the same with a small nuance that doesn't affect the meaning of the sentence. Check this out: I may go to Cameroon.   or   I might go to Cameroon. Jazz might be able of heling you.   or   Jazz may be able of helping you. But: You only can use might (not may), when the situation appears to be real. If I knew them better, I might invite them to dinner The situation is not real, because I don't know tem very well, so I'm not going to invite them. As you can notice, may is also not possible in this example! The continuous form of may / might is may / might be + -ing. See also will be + -ing. Tell him not to call me at 9.00 pm. I'll be watching soccer on television. Tell him not to call me at 9.00 pm. I might be watching ? soccer on television. ==> Maybe I'll be watching it. The continuous form is also used to express possible plans. Jazz is going to Cameroon next year. ==> for sure. Jazz might be going to Cameroon next year. ==> possible. It's also possible to say: Jazz may go to Cameroon next year, with little difference of meaning. May as well / might as well Check these examples out: Jazz:        We have just missed the bus. It runs every one hour. Janeel:    What shall we do? Shall we go on foot? Jazz:        We might as well.                 The weather is awesome and there's no need to wait an hour here! Might as well do something actually means should do something; the reason: there's nothing better to do and there's no reason not to do it. ==> may as well. Sylvia:                        What time are you leaving? Jazz and Janeel:        We're ready, so we might as well go now.                             ==> we may as well go now. The buses are so expensive these days, you might as well get a taxi. ==> taxis are just as good, no more expensive. Übungen Übungen 1 Write these sentences in a different way using may or might. Example: Maybe Jazz is in her car. ==> She might be in her car. Maybe Jazz is busy. Maybe she is working. Maybe she wants to be alone. Maybe she was sick yesterday. Maybe she was working yesterday. Maybe she went home early. Maybe Jazz had to go home early. Übungen 2 Write these sentences in a different way using may not or might not. Maybe Jazz doesn't want to see me. Maybe she wasn't feeling good yesterday. Maybe Jazz isn't working today. Maybe Jazz will not take photographs in the museum. Maybe students couldn't use the staff car park.

May and Might

May and might (1) May and might are used to mention that something is possible or is a possibility. Check this example situations out: He is may be in his car. ==> Maybe he is in his car. He might be having lunch. ==> Maybe he is having lunch. Ask Sylvia. She might know. ==> Maybe she knows. Usually, may or might can be used by saying for example: It may be true. or It might be true. ==> Maybe it is true. She might know. or She may know. ==> Maybe she knows. The negative forms are: for may ==> may not; Example: I may not have enough time to stay. ==> Maybe I don't have enough time to stay. for might ==> might not or mightn't. Example: It might not be true. ==> Maybe it isn't true. The following structure gives a detailled use of may and might: I / you / he etc. may might (not) be (true / in his car etc.) be (doing / having / making etc.) do / make / have / want / play etc. To express the past, we can use may have (done) or might have (done): A: I wonder why Jazz didn't answer the phone. B: She may have been taking a nap. ==> Maybe she was taking a nap. A: I can't find my backpack anywhere. B: You might have left it in the shop. ==> Maybe you left it in the shop. A: I was surprised that Janeel wasn't at the meeting. B: He might not have known about it. ==> Maybe he didn't know about it. A: I wonder why Sylvia was in such a bad mood yesterday. B: She may not have been feeling good. ==> Maybe she wasn't feeling good. The following structure gives a detailled use of may have and might have: I / you / he etc. may might (not) have been (at home / in his car / asleep etc.) been (doing / having or taking a nap / making etc.) done / made / had / wanted / played / seen etc. It happens sometimes that Could the same meaning as may and might has and can be used as such. A car is honking. It could be Dave. ==> It may / might be Dave. You could have left your backpack in the shop. ==> You may / might have left your backpack... But couldn't, the negative form of could has a different meaning as may not and might not. Compare this two examples: James was driving too fast, he couldn't have seen you. ==> It is not possible that he saw you. A: I wonder why she didn't say hello passing by. B: She might not have seen you. ==> Maybe she didn't see you; Maybe she did.