Differences between may and might
Have you heard about the verbs may and might, but you still don’t quite understand the difference? ABA English explains it to you and shows you how they differ and the situations in which they are used.
May and Might: Uses and Differences
May and might are modal verbs that express possibility and probability. That is, something can happen.
Difference in Degree of Probability
While may expresses a higher degree of probability, might expresses a lower degree of it. For example:
- My favorite team may win today. (Maybe my favorite team will win today.)
This sentence is more likely than:
- I might win the lottery one day. (I might win the lottery one day.)
Other examples:
- I may go to the gym tonight. (I might go to the gym tonight.)
- I might go to the concert. (I might go to the concert.)
This last sentence has a high degree of probability. On the other hand, the following sentence has a lower degree of probability.
Exercise A
Using may and might make these two sentences express that it is very likely that something will happen or that it is unlikely that something will happen.
- She gets into the team
- I will buy a plane.
How to use the formula May/Might…, but
We also find may and might when we want to express that two situations are opposite, but one does not prevent the other.
For example:
- This gym may not be as big as others, but it still has a lot of clients. (This gym may not be as big as others, but it still has a lot of clients.)
- She might not be the best at cooking, but the dessert she made yesterday was delicious. (She might not be the best at cooking, but the dessert she made yesterday was delicious.)
The difference between the two is that when may is used in this structure, it means that even though something is true, it does not prevent what is being affirmed.
While might means that even though something might be true, it doesn’t change anything about what is being stated.
Exercise B
Combine the following sentences with may/might…, but.
- I bought a new car. I like going downtown with my bicycle.
- He spoiled the surprise when I called her. It wasn’t his intention.
- She gifted him a Playstation 5. He wasn’t happy.
- He won the lottery. He showed a lot of humbleness.
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May and might to ask for, give or deny permission
To ask for permission formally, may is used and we rarely use might.
For example:
- May I ask you a question? (May I ask you a question?)
Likewise, may not is used to deny it and we almost never use might not.
For example:
- You just did, but you may ask me another one. (You just asked me one, but you may ask me another.)
- No, you may not. (No, you may not.)
Exercise C
Use the modal verb may to ask for permission formally based on the following sentences.
- I’m going to the party.
- She enters the classroom.
- They work until noon.
Answers
Exercise A
- She may get into the team / She might get into the team
- I may buy a plane / I might buy a plane.
Exercise B
- I may have bought a new car, but I still like going downtown with my bicycle.
- He might have spoiled the surprise when I called her, but it wasn’t his intention.
- She may have gifted him a Playstation 5, but he still wasn’t happy.
- He may have won the lottery, but he still showed a lot of humbleness.
Exercise C
- May I go to the party?
- May she enter the classroom?
- May they work until noon?
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