MAY, MIGHT

May I ask you a question?

May and Might indicate present or future possibility, (possible actions or happenings in the future)
He might arrive soon. He may arrive soon.
She might be angry if you do that. She may be angry if you do that.

* Ann may not come to the party tonight. She isn't well. (= perhaps she will not come)
* There might not be a meeting on Friday because the director is ill. (= perhaps there will not be a meeting)

• Usually, it doesn't matter whether you use may or might. So you can say:
* I may go to Ireland or I might go to Ireland.
* Jane might be able to help you or Jane may be able to help you.
* I haven't decided yet where to spend my holidays. I may go to Ireland. (= perhaps I will go to Ireland)
* Take an umbrella with you when you go out. It might rain later. (= perhaps it will rain)
* The bus doesn't always come on time. We might have to wait a few minutes. (= perhaps we will have to wait)

•But we use only might (not may) when the situation is not real:
* If I knew them better, I might invite them to dinner. (The situation here is not real because I don't know them
very well, so I'm not going to invite them. 'May' is not possible in this example.)

• The negative of may is may not. (NOT mayn't).

• The negative of might is might not or mightn't.
May I? or May we? are used for polite requests, in the same way as Can I? or Can we? It is a very polite form:

May I ask you a question? May I have a glass of water, please?

• may and might are usually used in question form only with I or we: other persons more often use the positive
with Do you think ...?:
He might be late. —* Do you think he might be late? Notes
• may is occasionally used in formal English to mean to be allowed to:
Guests may bring husbands or wives if they wish.
PRACTICE
I REWRITE THESE SENTENCES USING MAY OR MIGHT. WHERE TWO ANSWERS ARE POSSIBLE, WRITE THEM
BOTH.
1. Maybe he'll get a new job.
He might get a new job.
2. Do you think I could have one of these cakes?
May I have one of these cakes?
3. Maybe there's some tea in the pot.
There’s might some tea in the pot.
4. Would you mind if I asked you how old you are?
May you say how old are you?
5. Visitors are not allowed to stay in the hospital
after ten p.m.
 Visitors can’t may stay in the hospital after ten
p.m.
6. Do you think I could have one of these
sandwiches?
May I have one of these sandwiches?
7. I think the car is in the station car park.
There will be might the car is in the station car park.
8. Is it all right if I use your phone?
May I use your phone please?
9. Guests are allowed to wear casual dress.
Guests might wear casual dress.
10. Maybe she'll move to London.
May She’ll move to London.
11. There's a possibility that the show will be
cancelled.
The show might be cancelled.
12. Maybe she'll be elected.
She may be elected.
13. I think that Andrew will collect the money.
Antonio might collect the money.
14. Maybe Peter won't come to the cinema tomorrow.
Peter might no come to the cinema tomorrow.
15. Maybe it'll rain this afternoon.
Might rain this afternoon.

II COMPLETE THE TELEPHONE CONVERSATION USING MAY {NOT) OR MIGHT {NOT). WHERE TWO ANSWERS
ARE POSSIBLE, WRITE THEM BOTH.

RECEPTIONIST: Good morning, Bentley Supplies, how might I help you?

CALLER: Might I speak to John Brown, please?
RECEPTIONIST: I'm afraid he isn't here this morning. Can I take a message?
CALLER: No, I need to speak to him personally. Do you know what time he might be back?
RECEPTIONIST: He may be back for an hour after lunch, but he mightn’t make it if the traffic is bad.
CALLER: May be able to call this afternoon as I have a meeting. Could you tell John that I'll
phone him this evening at home?
RECEPTIONIST: Certainly. might I have your name please? CALLER:
Yes, it's David Marks.
III WRITE THESE SENTENCES IN A DIFFERENT WAY USING MAY OR MIGHT.
1. Perhaps Margaret is in her office. She might be in her office.
2. Perhaps Margaret is busy. Margaret might be busy.
3. Perhaps she is working. She may be working.
4. Perhaps she wants to be alone. She might want to be alone.
5. Perhaps she was ill yesterday. She may be sick yesterday.
6. Perhaps she went home early. She may come back to home early.
7. Perhaps she had to go home early. She might have to go home early.
8. Perhaps she was working yesterday. She may be working yesterday.
16. In sentences 9-11 use may not or might not. In the sentences 9-11 use mayn’t or mightn’t
9. Perhaps she doesn't want to see me. She might doesn’t want to see me.
10. Perhaps she isn't working today. She may be not working today.
11. Perhaps she wasn't feeling well yesterday. She may be not feeling well yesterday.

IV COMPLETE THE SENTENCES WITH A VERB IN THE CORRECT FORM.

1. 'Where's Bob?' 'I'm not sure. He might _be having_ lunch.'
2. 'Who is that man with Ann?' 'I'm not sure. It might be her brother.'
3. 'Who was the man we saw with Ann yesterday?' 'I'm not sure. It might be her brother.'
4. 'Why are those people waiting in the street?' 'I don't know. They might wait for a bus.'
5. 'Shall I buy this book for Tim?' 'You'd better not. He might already for it.'
V READ THE SITUATIONS AND MAKE SENTENCES FROM THE WORDS IN BRACKETS. USE MAY OR MIGHT.
1. I can't find George anywhere. I wonder where he is. a
(he/go/shopping) He may have gone shopping.
b (he/play/tennis) He might be playing tennis.
2. I'm looking for Helen. Do you know where she is?
a (she/watch/TV/in her room) She might be watching TV in her room.
b (she/go/out) She may go out.
3. I can't find my umbrella. Have you seen it?
a (it/be/in the car) It may be in the car.
b (you/leave/in the restaurant last night) You might leave it in the restaurant.
4. Why didn't Tom answer the doorbell? I'm sure he was in the
house at the time.
a (he/be/in the bath) He may be in the bath. b (he/not/hear/the bell) He might be not hearing the bell.
VI WRITE SENTENCES WITH MAY OR MIGHT.
1. Where are you going for your holidays? (To Ireland???) I
haven't decided yet. _I may go to Ireland. _
2. What sort of car are you going to buy? (a Mercedes???) I'm not
sure yet. I might buy a Mercedes.
3. What are you doing this weekend? (Go to London???) I haven't
decided yet. I may go to London.
4. Where are you going to hang that picture? (In the dining
room???) I haven't made up my mind yet. I might put it in the
dining room.
5. When is Tom coming to see us? (On Saturday???) I don’t know
yet. He may come with us on Saturday.
 6. What is Julia going to do when she leaves school? (Go to
university???) She hasn´t decided yet. Does she might go to the
university?
VII COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING MIGHT + ONE OF THESE VERBS:
bite break need rain slip wake
1. Take an umbrella with you when you go out. It _might rain_ later.
2. Don't make too much noise. You might wake up the baby.
3. Be careful of that dog. It may bite you.
4. I don't think we should throw that letter away. We might need it later.
5. Be careful. The footpath is very icy. You may be slip.
6. I don't want the children to play in this room. They might break something.

VIII COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING MIGHT BE ABLE TO OR MIGHT HAVE TO + A SUITABLE VERB.
1. I can't help you but why don't you ask Jill? She _might be able to help_ you.
2. I can't meet you this evening, but I might have a meeting to you tomorrow evening.
3. I'm not working on Saturday, but I may be having to work on Sunday.
4. George isn't well. He might have to go to hospital for an operation.
IX WRITE SENTENCES WITH MAY NOT OR MIGHT NOT.
1. (I don't know if Ann will come to the party.) Ann might not come to the party.
2. (I don't know if I'll go out this evening.) I may not to go out this evening.
3. (I don't know if Tom will like the present, I bought for him.) Tom mayn’t like the present that I bought for
him.
4. (I don't know if Sue will be able to meet us this evening.) Sue mightn’t to be able to meet us this evening.
X READ THE SITUATIONS AND MAKE SENTENCES WITH MAY/MIGHT AS WELL.
1. You and a friend have just missed the bus. The buses run every hour.
You say: We'll have to wait an hour for the next bus. _We might as well walk. _
2. You have a free ticket for a concert. You're not very keen on the concert but you decide to go.
You say: I might go to the concert. It's a pity to waste a free ticket.
3. You're in a cafe with a friend. You've finished your drinks. It's a nice cafe and there is no reason to go now, so
why not have another drink?
You say: We might stay here a few minutes. What would you like?
4. You and a friend are at home. You are bored. There's a film on TV starting in a few minutes.
You say: We might wait five minutes while my friend and I talking. There's nothing else to do.