May / might

The verb “may” has two forms: “may” for the Present Tense and “might” for the Past Tense. The expressions “to be allowed” and “to be permitted”, which have the same meaning, can be used to supply the missing forms of the verb “may” (e.g. You are to stay in bed until you are allowed to get up.)

The verb “may” is used to express:

Meaning	Forms of the modal verb	Other ways to express the same meaning	Sentence patterns
Absence of obstacles to the action (in statements)	May – the present tense; might – the past tense	_	Children may borrow books from the library.
Polite or formal permission (in questions mostly)	May – the present tense; might – the past tense	To be allowed; to be permitted	- May I come in?

Request (in questions)	May – the present tense; might – the past tense; (might is more polite form)	_	May I see him today? He asked me if he might rest for an hour. Might I spend the weekend with you?
Polite or formal prohibition (in negative sentences)	May not	_	You may not smoke in the room.
Reproach (in statements); doubt	Might do; might have done (might expresses greater doubt, it is practically never used when speaking about the past)	_	You might just as well come in time. You might have asked me at first. Let’s wait just a little longer, she might come after all.
Weak probability possibility about the present, future and past (in statements)	May do / might do – future & present; may have done / might have done - past	Perhaps, maybe, possibly	She looks pale; she may be ill. He might have already come. It may rain tomorrow.

Note: when we express doubt about an action in the present we mostly use the Continuous infinitive after the verb may (with the exception of such verbs as: to love, to hate, to know, to understand)

e.g. She may be wearing her hair long now.

This is probably done to avoid confusion with the pattern of doubt about the future action.

Compare: They may be living in the country. (now)

They may live at the country. (at some future time)

Exercises

Exercise 1

Analyze the form of the modal verb may / might. Say in which meaning it is used. Translate the sentences into Ukrainian.

1. Children may borrow books from the library.

2. He said he might get to work by bus.

3. Let’s meet at 5 if the time is convenient to everybody. We may get there on foot.

4. I have got two English novels in the original. So you may take one of them.

5. Mother said you might take some apples.

6. - May I smoke, doctor? – No, you may not. You’d better stop doing it. It may ruin your health.

7. Mother, may I have a glass of light beer?

8. May I see him in the hospital on Tuesday?

9. He asked me if he might rest for an hour.

10. May I spend the week-end with you?

11. Jim, you may not have a swim today, it’s rather chilly.

12. You might remember – people are sleeping upstairs.

13. You might have asked me if I had an objection.

14. You might have come half an hour ago.

15. The child is very weak. You might be more attentive to him.

16. If he had arrived an hour earlier, he might have had a good night’s rest.

17. We may have been married.

18. He may have written the letter, but the signature is certainly not his.

19. He told the doctor he might have been running a high temperature for some days.

Exercise 2

Insert the correct form of the modal verb may / might.

1. It ____ rain, you’d better take a coat.

2. He said that it ____ rain.

3. We ____ as well stay here till the weather improves.

4. ____ I borrow your umbrella?

5. Candidates ____ (not) bring textbooks into the examination room.

6. I ____ never see you again.

7. He ____ be on the next train, we ____ as well wait.

8. If we got there early we ____ get a good seat.

9. The police ____ ask a driver to take a breath test.

10. You ought to buy now; prices ____ go up.

11. I’ll wait a week so that he ____ have time to think it over.

12. He isn’t going to eat it; I ____ as well give it to the dog.

13. We’d better be early; there ____ be a crowd.

14. Nobody knows how people first came to these islands. They ____ have sailed from South America on rafts.

15. He said that we ____ use his office whenever we liked.

16. I don’t think I’ll succeed but I ____ as well try.

17. If we can give him blood transfusion we ____ be able to save his life.

18. Two parallel white lines in the middle of the road mean that you ____ (not) overtake.

19. If I bought a lottery ticket I ____ win $1000.

20. He has refused, but he ____ change his mind if you asked him again.

Exercise 3

Paraphrase the following sentences so as to use the modal verb may / might.

Model: Maybe he’ll get a new job. - He might get a new job. / He may get a new job.

Do you think I could have one of these cakes? – May I have one of these cakes?

1. Visitors are not allowed to stay in the hospital after 10 p.m.

2. Do you think I could have one of these sandwiches?

3. He has had a busy day and perhaps he is tired now.

4. Mum says that she allows me to go on a package tour with my friends to the Swiss Alps.

5. I think the car is in the station car park.

6. Is it alright if I use your phone?

7. Guests are allowed to wear casual dress.

8. Perhaps, she’ll move to London.

9. There’s a possibility that the show will be cancelled.

10. I think that Andrew will collect the money.

11. It’s very cold here. You’re shivering all over. You are permitted to put on Mary’s coat.

12. Maybe, Peter won’t come to the cinema tomorrow.

13. Possibly, it’ll rain this afternoon.

Exercise 4

Study the following chart. Translate the sentences into Ukrainian.

May in the meaning of permission, May in the meaning of uncertain

request, very sharp prohibition. supposition, reproach.

May I come and see you this evening? Of course you may. You may come at any time. Candidates may not bring textbooks into the examination room.

It may rain today, or it may be fine. I don’t know. Somebody phoned at lunch time but I couldn’t catch the name. It may have been my brother. You might tell me! I think I have the right to know. We’ve run out of petrol! I’m not surprised. I noticed that the tank was nearly empty when we left home. You might have told me! We could have got petrol at the last village.

Open the brackets, using the correct form of the infinitive. Translate the sentences into Ukrainian.

1. I saw them in the street but they didn’t stop to speak to me. They may (to be) in a hurry.

2. My name is not written in this book, but it may (to be) mine.

3. People were waiting but the bus didn’t stop. It may (to be) full.

4. I know she was in because I heard her radio but she didn’t open the door. She may not (to hear) the bell.

5. I can’t think why they didn’t try to help him. They may not (to realize) that he was drowning.

6. He might (to thank) us. (We are offended that he didn’t )

7. He may (to be) on the next train. Let’s wait.

8. Nobody knows how people first came to these islands. They may (to sail) from South America on rafts.

9. You might (to be) right but I don’t think you are.

10. Tom: What’s happened to Jack? We said 7.30 and now it’s 8.00 and there’s no sign of him. Ann: He may (to forget) that we invited him. He is rather forgetful. Tom: Or he may (to get) lost. He hasn’t been to this house before.

11. If you said that, he might (to be) very offended.

12. I’ve lost one of my gloves. – The puppy might (to take) it. I saw him running by just now with something in his mouth. It might (to be) your glove.

13. Ann: Why didn’t you wait for me yesterday? Tom: I waited five minutes. Ann: You might (to wait) longer.

14. It may (to rain), take a coat.

15. He said that it might (to rain).

16. I wonder how the fire started. – Oh, someone might (to drop) a lighted cigarette. Or it might (to be) an electrical fault.

17. I wonder why they didn’t go. The weather may (to be) too bad.

Exercise 5

Express ironical requests based on the following sentences. Use the perfect infinitive to refer the situation to the past and in this way express reproach.

Model: You do not remember your child’s birthday. – You might remember your child’s birthday!

You didn’t switch off the lights before leaving. – You might have switched off the lights before leaving.

1. You do not wear your new suit to the office.

2. You didn’t sew the buttons on, Alice.

3. You didn’t even notice how well she played. You do not pay enough attention to your child.

4. Do come and help me choose it.

5. You didn’t try hard enough.

6. You didn’t get up a little earlier and help me to clean up after the party.

7. You never let me know when something like this happens.

8. You didn’t give a detailed account.

9. You didn’t meet her at the station.

Exercise 6

Fill the spaces by inserting can / could or may / might (or the negative form).

1. Students ______ bring textbooks into the examination room.

2. _______ you stand on your head? – I ______ when I was at school but I _____ now.

3. ______ I smoke here? – No, you _____. Smoking is not allowed.

4. ______ you type?- Yes, I _______ type but I _____ do shorthand.

5. _______ I come in? – Please do.

6. I ______ remember the address. - ____ you even remember the street?

7. He _____ answer the teacher’s questions yesterday, but he _____ answer the same questions today.

8. _____ I come and see you this evening? – Of course you _______ .

9. When I first went to Spain I _______ read Spanish but I ______ speak it.

10. He said that we _____ use his flat whenever we liked.

11. There was a lot of noise in the street last night, and I ______ sleep.

12. _____ I borrow your umbrella?

13. I _____ walk ten miles a day when I was a young man, but now I _______ .

14. It’s very cold. _____ I shut the windows?

Exercise 7

Fill in the blanks with may, might, can, could. Give two variants where possible.

1. I _______ be away from home tomorrow.

2. He _______ have been hurt.

3. It _____ or ______ not be true.

4. It was so dark we _____ see nothing.

5. _______ you lend me a shilling?

6. _______ you hear what he is saying?

7. You ______ walk miles in this district without seeing a house.

8. _______ this be true?

9. _______ we go to the pictures after we wash up?

10. Mother says I _____ not go out.

11. Sorry, sir. You ____ smoke in here.

12. It ____ be so far as all that.

13. ________ I have some more bread?

14. You _____ ask him to be chairman at the meeting. He’ll be so pleased.

15. The letters ______ have been written in this very house.

16. She _____ have consulted me before acting.

17. What _____ have happened to prevent their coming?

18. I wonder what he _____ say to this.

19. You ______ pay less attention to other people’s affairs and more to your own.

20. Nothing _____ make me give up this idea.

Exercise 8

Express doubt about the statements made in the following sentences. Make the doubt stronger by using more and more emphatic expressions:

Model: They spent part of the summer here. - They may have spent…

- They might have spent…

- Can they have spent…?

- They can’t have spent…

1. In the end Joe took the job.

2. She is very particular about such things.

3. He is lying in wait for you downstairs.

4. They think much of her.

5. Someone broke that lock.

6. He sent her some flowers.

7. He tells her all that happens at the office.

8. He helps the child with his lessons.

Exercise 9

Ask for permission to do something, give permission to do something, prohibit an action, express a request, a reproach using the following word-combinations.

1. to show smb how to do smth;

2. to explain to smb how smth happened;

3. to help smb do smth;

4. to look after the children for smb;

5. to do the shopping;

6. to take the dog for his run;

7. to exchange the books at the library;

8. to bring home some ice-cream.

Model: to cut a few sandwiches for Tim’s lunch

1. May (can) I cut a few sandwiches for Tim’s lunch?

2. You may (can) cut a few sandwiches for Tim’s lunch.

3. You may (can) not cut sandwiches for Tim’s lunch.

4. You might cut a few sandwiches for Tim’s lunch.

5. You might have cut a few sandwiches for Tim’s lunch.

Exercise 10

1. Fill in the correct word from the following: allow / permit, permission, may, might, can, could. Indicate where two words are possible.

Ben wanted to ask his teacher for ____ to leave school early on Friday afternoon, but he didn’t really expect that she would ____ him to do so. He explained about some dental appointment which he could possibly miss, but somehow, she didn’t seem to believe him. “Miss Jones, ____ I leave school at 3.30 on Friday, please? You see, I have this dental appointment and …” Miss Jones replied that he ____ go ten minutes earlier, but not half an hour earlier! She knew that if she ____ Ben go earlier, the other pupils would expect to be ____ to leave earlier, too, and she couldn’t possibly _____ this become a real occurrence! “I’m sorry, Ben, but I really can’t _____ you to go at 3.30. However, you ____ go at ten minutes to four, just this once, and I’ll give you some extra homework to do in the dentist’s waiting-room!”

2. Work in pairs. Role-play the conversation between Ben and Miss Jones.

Exercise 11

Translate into English using modal verbs can and may. Give variants where possible.

1. Вона вже мала бути на роботі.

2. Не може бути, щоб вона вже приїхала.

3. Невже вона все це відповіла?

4. Чи можу я користуватися словником?

5. Можете піти та подивитися самі.

6. Чи могли б ви сказати, коли він прийде?

7. Він може завітати сюди по дорозі додому.

8. Ви могли б приходити вчасно.

9. Я не міг прийти вчасно, мій потяг спізнився.

10. Ви б принесли мені кави.

11. Хто б це міг завітати до нас, коли нас не було вдома?

12. Ти могла б помити посуд після обіду, а не розмовляти по телефону з друзями.

13. Тобі вже час самому вміти робити такі речі.

14. Не слід заходити до магазину з собакою, залиш її біля входу.

Exercise 12

Translate the sentences into English making use of the modal verbs can / could, may / might and their negative forms.

1. Я не можу займатися довго одним і тим самим.

2. Я можу зайнятися цим тільки опівдні.

3. Я можу пошукати твій журнал, якщо ти бажаєш.

4. Зараз ми можемо легко зв’язатися з будь-якою країною світу.

5. Ви не могли б мені показати он ту сукню?

6. Ми могли б разом сходити в кіно.

7. Людина не може жити без води.

8. Вибачте, можна я скористаюся вашим телефоном?

9. Мамо, можна я принесу додому щеня?

10. Я впевнена, ти можеш вирішити це питання сам.

11. Ти що, не чуєш мене?

12. Що я можу зробити, щоб віддячити вам?

13. Піди подивися, чим займаються діти, я їх не чую.

14. Не можна побачити бактерії без мікроскопу.

15. Ти міг би зачинити вікно, я змерзла.

16. Ми могли б відкласти нашу поїздку на кілька днів.

17. Коли б ми сьогодні одержали від нього телеграму, я завтра ж могла б купити квитки.

18. Можна йому приєднатися до нас за вечерею?

19. Я просто не в змозі сьогодні працювати.

20. Я могла б зайти за тобою завтра вранці.

21. Боюсь, я не можу сказати тобі нічого втішного.

22. Фотографія не може передати її чарівність.

23. Можна я не буду прибирати сьогодні?

24. Ти міг би приділяти більше часу своїм заняттям музикою.

25. Головний інженер каже, що ви можете починати іспити без нього.

26. Коли б завтра захворів наш викладач, ми змогли б попасти на концерт.

27. Я просто не можу повірити, що він тобі так відповів.

28. Не вміючи плавати, я ніколи не ходжу на річку сам.

29. Не квап мене. Я чудово можу закінчити цей переклад завтра.

30. Чи можу я відкрити ще один рахунок у вашому банку?