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What Is Their Main Difference?
The main difference between modal verbs 'may' and 'might' is that 'might' is the past tense of 'may' but it is used in the present and the future tense.
Modal Verb May
'May' is a modal verb used to give additional information to the main verb. We use 'may' to give and ask for permission, talk about possibilities, and make offers. Have a look:
I
Modal Verb Might
'Might' is a modal verb mainly used to show possibilities and to give advice. 'Might' is considered as the past tense of 'may' but it is used in the present and future tense. Take a look at the following example:
I
You
Similarities
Giving and Asking for Permission
Giving Permission
'May' is used to give permission in formal contexts as it is considered a polite way. For example:
You
You
Asking for Permission
'May' and 'might' are used to ask for permission. 'May' is more common and politer than 'might.' For example:
Talking about Possibilities
'May' and 'might' are used to talk about possibilities and probabilities in the present and the future. 'Might' is considered to be the past tense of 'may' which is why learners confuse it when it comes to talking about possibilities. Take a look at the following examples:
I
I
Negation and Question
Modal verbs are always used to create a negative or an interrogative sentence. When creating negative sentences, we add 'not' to the modal verb as illustrated below:
- May → May not → Mayn't
- Might → Might not → Mightn't
Look at the examples below to see the negation process:
I
I
When we want to make an interrogative form, we simply invert the modal verb with the subject. Take a look:
I
He
With Other Modals
We only have one modal verb in our sentence and we cannot use more than one modal verb at once. Take a look at these incorrect examples:
I
He
Differences
Making Offers
Giving Advice
'Might' is often used to give advice. In this form, it is often paired with 'want' as the main verb. For example:
You
You
Expressing Wishes
We use 'may' at the beginning of the sentence to express wishes, condolences, prayers, and wishes. Have a look:
Suggestion
We use 'might' to make a suggestion about a future possibility. For instance:
You
I thought you
With Conditionals
'May' and 'might' are also used as conditional verbs. Conditionals are used to show that the occurrence of an event depends on another event or action to happen. Pay attention to the table below:
| May | Might | |
|---|---|---|
| Conditional Type 1 | ✓ | ✓ |
| Conditional Type 2 | ✗ | ✓ |
| Conditional Type 3 | ✗ | ✓ |
| Zero Conditional | ✗ | ✗ |
Conditionals Type 1
'May' and 'might' are used in conditional type 1. In this type, we show a condition and the results that follow. These conditions are real situations with a high chance of occurrence. For example:
If you take all your vegetables, I
If you take all your vegetables, I
Conditional Type 2
Conditional type 2 is used to talk about hypothetical situations in the present or future that are imaginary and their chance of occurrence is low. Have a look:
If I studied all night, I
If I got this scholarship, I
Conditional Type 3
The third type of conditionals talks about an imaginary past that could happened but never did. We often use it to talk about lost causes and what-ifs. Consider the following examples:
I
I
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