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Viceidol Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

Can I use "might/may" to replace this "can/could"?(about choices)

0We have three choices: We 01font01b00can02b02font00 go to the police, we 01b01font00can02font02b00 talk to him ourselves, or we 01b01font00can02font02b00 forget all about it.02br
02br
00"I need to get to the airposrt." "Well, you01font01b00 could02b02font00 take the airport bus. Or you01b01font00 could02font02b00 take a taxi. Maybe Sue01b01font00 could02font02b00 take you. She has a car."02br
02br
00May I ask if I can use may/might to replace those "can/could"? Like:02br
02br
00We have three choices: We 01font01b00may02b00/01b00might02b02font00 go to the police, we 01font01b00may02b00/01b00might02b02font00 talk to him ourselves, or we 01font01b00may02b00/01b00might02b02font00 forget all about it.02br
02br
00"I need to get to the airposrt." "Well, you01font01b00 01font00may02font02b02font01font00/01b00might02b02font00 take the airport bus. Or you01font01b00 01font00may02font02b02font01font00/01b00might02b02font00 take a taxi. Maybe Sue01font01b00 01font00may02font02b02font01font00/01b00might02b02font00 take you. She has a car."02br
02br
00 I think "might" could be possible, but I'm not sure about "may". Please tell me if I can use them. Thank you.0-
  

Top answer

0 01blockquote 01cite 10Viceidol12cite 10I think "might" could be possible, but I'm not sure about "may"12blockquote 10 You seem to be developing some good intuitions about these pesky modals. 01i 00might02i 00 is fine; 01i 00may02i 00 is not good because it suggests permission too strongly. Typically 01i 00may, might, 02i 00and01i 00 could02i 00 go together when you're thinking of what it logically possible, but 01i 00can, could, 02i 00and01i 00 might02i 00 go together when you're thinking in terms of alternative actions, as in these examples above.

— CalifJim

  • 0 01blockquote 01cite 10Viceidol12cite 10I think "might" could be possible, but I'm not sure about "may"12blockquote 10 You seem to be developing some good intuitions about these pesky modals.
  • 01i 00might02i 00 is fine; 01i 00may02i 00 is not good because it suggests permission too strongly.
  • Typically 01i 00may, might, 02i 00and01i 00 could02i 00 go together when you're thinking of what it logically possible, but 01i 00can, could, 02i 00and01i 00 might02i 00 go together when you're thinking in terms of alternative actions, as in these examples above.
  • 02br 00CJ 0-
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5 Answers
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0 01blockquote
01cite10Viceidol12cite10I think "might" could be possible, but I'm not sure about "may"12blockquote
10 You seem to be developing some good intuitions about these pesky modals. 01i00might02i00 is fine; 01i00may02i00 is not good because it suggests permission too strongly
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0 CalifJim said:02br
00> but 01i00can, could, 02i00and01i00 might02i00 go together when you're thinking in terms of alternative actions, as in these examples above.02br
00I'd use only 01i00could 02i00and 01i00might02i00 for such sentences. 02br
01i00Can02i
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0 So you wouldn't use 01i00can02i00 in Viceidol's example of alternative actions? You find it a bit vulgar? 01blockquote
00We have three choices: We 11font11b10can12b12font10 go to the police, we 11b11font10can12font12b10 talk to him o
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1blockquote
01cite10Marius Hancu12cite10Many of those speaking this way don't even know about 11i10could12i10 and 11i10might12i10 existing or about their exact meaning and nuances12blockquote
10Well, actually, I doubt native speakers of English have a clue about the differences between "may"
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0Thank you, everyone. Now I completely understand. Thank you for your replies.0-
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