41 Modals of Possibility - May/Might

The verb May/Might belong to the group of modal auxiliary verbs. They are used to talk about the possibility for something to happen.

May

The Affirmative form of the verb May has this structure:
Subject + may* + verb.

Might

The Affirmative form of the verb Might has this structure:
Subject + might* + verb.

*The form is always the same, even for the third person.

1. Uncertainty/Possibility
   • I may go to the nature park as I have the tickets. (I already paid.)
   • I might go to the nature park, the weather is nice. (It is a good opportunity.)
2. Suggestion
   • You might want to see the crocodile before we leave the zoo. (It can be interesting for you.)
   • You may not want to go to this area, it’s dangerous. (It is probably not a good idea to go there.)
3. Conditionals
   • If you bought a lottery ticket you might actually be the lucky one. (You had the chance to win but you didn’t buy the ticket.)
   • You may go diving in the Mediterranean Sea if you had more experience. (You cannot go diving because you have lack of experience.)

May and Might are used in the same way most of the time. We can use May and Might to express:

1. Uncertainty/Possibility: Using May instead of Might suggests that something is more possible and likely to happen;
2. Suggestion: Using Might instead of May suggests a rather smaller possibility or something that is unlikely to happen;
3. Condition: When they are used in second conditionals Might and May express unreal hypothesis/hypothetical situation.

The verbs May and Might both express possibility. However, two differences between the two are that May is used when the possibility of something to happen is higher.

• The Affirmative form of Might is as follows:
  Subject + might + verb (e.g. I might go);
• The Affirmative form of May is as follows:
  Subject + may + verb (e.g. I may go).

For example:
— “You may want to use this path, it is not steep.” = There is a higher possibility that you choose this path.
— “I might go to Europe next month if I find a cheap flight.” = There is a possibility that I might go, but it depends on the price of the flight.

Let’s revise this content within the [Form] section. Take a look at the [Example] section that shows its use within a context.