MAY and MIGHT

3.1. CONCRETE MEANING: POSSIBILITY DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES

Mayin this meaning occurs only in affirmative sentences and is followed only by the simple infinitive. You may order a taxi by telephone. – Можна замовити таксі по телефону. Might + Ind. Inf. is used in past-time contexts as the past form of the verb “may”: In those days a man might be sentenced to death for a small crime (міг). might + Perf. Inf. indicates that the action was not carried out owing to certain circumstances and is synonymous to could +Perf. Inf.: He might have fallen ill if he hadn’t taken the medicine.

3.2. IMPERATIVE MEANING

The modal verb may is often used in dialogues in its imperative meaning to express: 1. Permission: The director is alone now. So you may see him now. 2. Asking for permission: May I use your telephone? In these two meanings may is synonymous to the phrases “to have permission to”, “to be allowed to”, “to be permitted to”. We use one of these phrases when we emphasize getting permission on a specific occasion: The director is alone now. So you are allowed to see him now. Will you allow me to use your telephone? 3. Request: Might I join you? 4. Prohibition: You may not smoke in the office. May is not common in this meaning. Generally “must” and “can” are used instead.   The modal verb mightis used in these meanings in reported speech: The secretary told me that I might see the director as he was alone. He asked me if he might use my phone. The manager told me I might not smoke in the office. The modal verb might is also used in the meaning of request and asking for permission as a more polite form of may. Might I use your telephone, please? 5. Disapproval, reproach: You might carry the parcel for me. You might have helped me. Here we find only the form mightused in affirmative sentences with the simple or Perfect infinitive. · might + Ind. Inf. expresses ironical advice, disapproval: Don’t wait for her, you might do it yourself (могли би). You might help me to carry this heavy bag (міг би). · might + Perf. Inf. denotes reproach for the non-performance of the action. The same meaning can be expressed by means of “could + Perf. Inf.”: You might have phoned me last night (міг би).  

Ex. 31. Paraphrase these notices to give or refuse permission. Begin each sentence with You ….

MODEL: Don't feed the animals. — You may not feed the animals.

1.No smoking.

2.No parking on the square.

3.Visitors welcome 24 hours a day.

4.No alcoholic drinks under 18.

5.Don't use the office phones for private calls.

6.Private. Keep out.

7.Club members use courts free on Saturday and Sunday.

8.Walk your dogs here.

9.Phone us. We'll help.

10.For sale. Come and have a look.

11.Room for smokers.

12.Leave your car here.

13.Don't swim here.

14.Keep silence.

15.Don't take photographs.

Ex.32. Change the following sentences into the future or past. Use be a llowed/permitted to.

1. May the students leave the room in a few minutes?

2. May I stay away from the classes?

3. May she miss the classes tomorrow?

4. May I look up words in the dictionary?

5. May he not do this job now?

6. May the child not eat his soup?

7. May she play the piano in your room?

8. May Kate read her essay at the next lesson?

9. May I not come to the examination tonight?

10. May she not go and see her doctor?

11. May I come a bit late for the next class?

12. May Jack change place with Bill?

13. May I keep your player till Sunday?

14. May the students write the dictation at the next class?

15. May I leave the class before the bell goes?

Ex. 33. Change these sentences using may.

1.Are little children allowed to play with matches?

2.Do you allow me to invite my friends to our discussion?

3.Let me join you in your trip to London?

4.Will you allow me to take your book home and keep it for a week?

5.Do you permit them to attend your lectures?

6.Allow me to use your dictionary. I've left mine at home.

7.Lot me take your umbrella. It's raining hard.

8.Will they allow us to lodge in this room?

9.Let him speak to you in private.

10.Are the twins allowed to go for a walk in the park?

11.Will you allow me to look through your notes?

12.Let Andrew play chess after he finishes his homework.

13.Will you allow the children to go to the river with us? The weather is fine.

14.Do you permit her to go home for a few days?

15.Allow me to do things the way I want to do them.

Ex. 34. Express disapproval based on the following sentences. Use the perfect infinitive to refer the situation to the past and in this way express reproach.

Model: a) You do not remember your child's birthday.

You might remember your child's birthday!

b) You did not 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 did not sew the buttons on, Alice.

3. You did not 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 did not try hard enough.

6. You did not 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.

Ex.35. Express reproach using the correct form of the verbs in brackets

1.You might (get) to know your mates better by that time

2.Look! You might (call) on me last week. I was ill.

3.You might (tell) him about it before.

4.You might (praise) him for doing it.

5.She might (be) particular about such things.

6.You might (speak) to the man. He should know the truth.

7.You might (consult) with the experts before signing thiscontract.

8.She has just left, you might (come) earlier.

9.Oh, Sam, you never think of my comfort. You might (order) a room in the hotel in advance.

10. You might (avoid) the accident last week if you were more careful.

3.3. SUPPOSITIONAL MEANING: SUPPOSITION IMPLYING UNCERTAINTY

May and might are often used in affirmative and negative sentences to express supposition implying uncertainty. He may beat home. – Можливо, він дома. He may not beat home. – Можливо, його немає дома. In Ukrainian this meaning is generally rendered by means of the modal adverbs можливо and може бути. In English this meaning may also be rendered by means of the attitudinal adverbs perhaps and maybe. In the meaning of supposition implying uncertainty, the form might is also found. It differs from the form may in that it emphasizes the idea of uncertainty. May/might denoting supposition implying uncertainty can be followed by different forms of the infinitive depending on the time reference expressed. a)the Continuous Infinitive (may/might be doing) is used with dynamic verbs if reference is made to the present to express supposition implying uncertainty not only about some actions in progress at the moment of speaking, but also about some recurrent or permanent actions. He may/might be skating now. – Мабуть, він зараз катається на ковзанах. She may/might be studying at medical college. – Можливо, вона навчається в медицинському коледжі. The economy may/might be showing signs of recovery. – Можливо, є ознаки того, що економіка починає відновлюватися. b) May/might in combination with the Simple Infinitive (may/might do) usually refers the action to the future. He may/might come tomorrow. – Можливо, вона приїде завтра. The action may also refer to the present but only with stative verbs. She may/might be angry with you. – Може вона сердиться на тебе. He may/might not know about it. – Можливо він нічого про це не знає.   c) May/might in combination with the Perfect Infinitive (may/might have done) refers the action to the past. He may/might not have recovered yet. - Мабуть, він ще не одужав. d) the Perfect Continuous Infinitive (may/might have been doing) is used indicate an action begun in the past and continued into the moment of speaking, or an action of some duration in the past. He may/might have been skating for 2 hours. – Можливо, він катається на ковзанах вже 2 години. Note. In this meaning “might” does not serve as the past form of the verb “may”. If you want to refer the action to the past, you are to use “ may/might + Per. Inf.” or “ Perf. Cont. Inf.”  

Ex.36. The people interviewing Julie for the job (see ex. 20) couldn’t understand why she was so late.

Why isn’t Miss Wilson here?

She may be ill – or she may be too nervous. It may not be her fault.

What other possible explanations do the interviewers think of? Use may/might (not) + Simple Infinitive:

1. Perhaps her train is late. Her train may be late.

2. Perhaps she doesn't know the way.

3. It's just possible she thinks it's on another day.

4. Perhaps there's a traffic jam.

5. Maybe she feels the salary is too low.

6. There's a slight possibility that she doesn't want the job after all.

7. Perhaps she's not feeling well today.

8. It's just possible she has a good reason.

Ex. 37. ' They can't be... ing, can they? They might/may be... ing. '

(= it's surely not possible they are...; perhaps they are..)

When Mr. and Mrs. Wilson were in Italy, they went to the cinema - but they couldn't understand the dialogue very well! Look at the pictures (scenes from the film) and complete their conversation with can/can't/might/may.

1 'Those men can’t be cleaning windows. It's night!'

'No, they ………... They …………… robbers, I suppose.^’

2 'Look at the girl. I thought she was laughing, but

she ………, …….. she?' 'She ………. crying because

she's afraid of those men.'

3 'What are those people doing? I thought they were

having a rest, but they…….be. The police seem to be

angry with them:' 'I think they ……… protesting about

something.

Ex. 38. Mr and Mrs Wilson are waiting for the guests who are one hour late for the party.Rewrite these sentences using may /might (not) or may/might (not) have, instead of perhaps, it's possible and maybe. (Remember that the only difference between may and might is that might is weaker.)

1. Perhaps they have forgotten where we live.

They may h ave forgotten where we live.

2. It's possible they've lost our address.

3. There's a possibility that they didn't get our

invitation.

4. Or maybe they thought it said Thursday, not Tuesday.

5. It's possible their car has broken down.

6. Perhaps they have been held up by a traffic jam in the centre.

7. Or maybe someone they left their telephone at home and had to go back home to fetch it.

Ex.39. Read the text. Then write eight sentences explaining what people think

might have happened to the Mayas.

Nobody is quite sure whit exactly happened to the Mayan civilization. We know that in 900 AD their cities were still prosperous, but a hundred years later they had been abandoned. A number of theories have been put forward to explain this. One theory is that the Mayan ruling class died out because rulers did not work and so became unhealthy, and there was nobody to tell the farmers what to do. Another idea is that farmers were unable to grow enough food to support large populations in cities. Other people believe that a natural disaster, such as an earthquake occurred, the cities were destroyed and the people never moved back. Or perhaps another Mexican people conquered the Mayas, and destroyed their cities. Another theory is that there was a revolution, in which the farmers killed their rulers. Some experts believe that the epidemic of some kind caused the disappearance of the Mayas. Others think that the Mayan cities suffered from an environmental disaster. caused by drought or overproduction. Finally, some people believe that the people abandoned their cities because their priests told them to do it.

1. The Mayan ruling class might have died out because rulers did not work.

2. ____________________________________________

3. _____________________________________________

4. _____________________________________________

5. _____________________________________________

6. _____________________________________________

7. _____________________________________________

8. _____________________________________________

Ex. 40. What reasons might there be for the situations in the pictures?

Perhaps he/she/they:

· was trying to carry too much

· have been walking for a long time.

· wasn't holding it properly

· is going for a swim

· aren't wearing comfortable shoes

· was going too fast

Rewrite these sentences using may/might

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