may or might

[keenanbr]

I have a feeling that this has probably been covered before. I needed to change one of our standard letters. Having made the appropriate changes I ran the spell-checked which complained about may being used where might should have been used. 'A performance related fee may also apply'. I think 'might' seems more natural in this situation but what is the rule'.

 

[AnotherHiggins]

-> what is the rule

There's more than one.

MIGHT is the past tense of MAY.

But in the present or future, there is a difference in meaning between the two.

MIGHT indicates greater uncertainty about something happening than does MAY. An example:
[tab]- You MAY stop by the store on the way home from work.
[tab]- You MIGHT sail around the world one day.

But keep in mind that you can run cause confusion by using MAY in the negative.

"I MAY NOT go out drinking with you guys tonight" could be interpreted to mean that I am not allowed to do so. So if you mean to indicate uncertainty rather than permission, I think it is OK to stick with using MIGHT when speaking (or writing) in the negative.

So in your example, "'A performance related fee {may/might} also apply'", I think either word would be acceptable. Which you choose depends on what you want to communicate.

- - -
I just read the "MAY HAVE" vs "MIGHT HAVE" info to which you linked. (At first I thought you were linking to a copy of your document since the link shows as an attachment.) They make a good point about using MAY in the past tense to clarify meaning. But I think using "Likely" instead of "may have" would be preferable.

[tt]_____
[blue]-John[/blue][/tt]
[tab][red]The plural of anecdote is not data[/red]

Help us help you. Please read FAQ 181-2886 before posting.

 

[SantaMufasa]

I realize that dictionaries indicate that:

Main Entry: might
Function:verbal auxiliary

past of may

—used in auxiliary function to express permission, liberty, probability, possibility in the past

...but I am simply not comfortable with that idea. For example, if might truly is (by itself) "the past of may", then the following sentence would make sense:

Yesterday, if I had the money, I might buy a new computer.

That just doesn't make sense, in and of itself...might (IMHO) does not reasonably provide "the past of may".



But in combination with another verbal auxiliary, have, to help form a past participle, I don't have a problem considering might as a past tense of may. For example:

Yesterday, if I had the money, I might have bought a new computer.

Now that makes sense as a past tense of may, but only when helping form a past participle of a verb.


¿Sí/No?

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
[I provide low-cost, remote Database Administration services: www.dasages.com]

 

[2ffat]

Might vs Might Have

I remember going around and around with one of my college English teachers about this very subject. The way he graded is the latter (might have bought) was too wordy and if we used it we were marked down. Other teachers/professors didn't seem to mind. We were sooooo confused by the time we finished his course.



James P. Cottingham
-----------------------------------------
^{I'm number 1,229!
I'm number 1,229!}

 

[Michael52x]

May=Can
Might=Could
I kinda like "may'nt"
As opposed to "might'nt"

"Impatience will reward you with dissatisfaction" RMS Cosmics'97

 

[ESquared]

I don't think "may" is equal to "can."
Can is about ability.
May is about permission.

"Do you think I can climb the rock?" is asking for an opinion of your ability to do so. "Do you think I may climb the rock?" is asking for an opinion of the legality, permission, or appropriateness of doing so.

The way he graded is the latter (might have bought) was too wordy and if we used it we were marked down.

What were you supposed to use, instead?

Yesterday, if I had the money, I might have bought a new computer.

Even that doesn't seem right to me. "If I had the money" sounds like trying to figure out where it might be, like "If I had the money yesterday, then it has been stolen, because I don't have it now." My instinct is to say,

[ul]Yesterday, if I had had the money, I might have bought a new computer.[/ul]

I also would probably soften the "had had" by saying "if I'd had.