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Anonymous Posted 15 years ago
Grammar
Can vs. May
Hi all,
My name is Joon
I have a question about can/may distinctions in the 'possibility' sense
Here is what my grammar book says about the distinctions:
'May' represents 'factual possibility' and 'can' represents 'theoretical possibility'
The difference is clarified by these set of equivalent statements:
(A) Factual: The road may be blocked=It is possible that the road is blocked
(B) Theoretical: The road can be blocked=It is possible for the road to be blocked
'may' is paraphrased by It is possibled followed by a that clause, but 'can' is paraphrased by It is possible followed by a (for+Noun phrase+)to infinitive construction.
The second sentence (B) describes a theoretically conceivable happening whereas the first feels more immediate, because the actual likelihood of an event's taking place is being considered.
Ok, my question is:
What is the difference in meaning between the following sentences?
A: We may see you tomorrow
B: We can see you tomorrow
The author of my grammar book says, "'can' could not replace may without a considerable change in meaning", but he doesn't go on to explain the difference in meaning at all.
I kind of doubt, in the first place, if the second sentence can be paraphrased as the following:
We can see you tomorrow=It is possible for us to see you tomorrow or It will be possible for us to see you tomorrow(???)
The sentence refers to one possble(actual) event, which does not fit the description of 'theoretical possibility.
And likewise I don't uderstand why 'can' is used in the following sentences.
A: Can you come over for dinner tonight?
B: Yes, I can come over for dinner tonight.
I can come over for dinner tonight=It is possible for me to come over for dinner tonight(??)
Could anyone help me with this? I would really appreciate it.
My name is Joon
I have a question about can/may distinctions in the 'possibility' sense
Here is what my grammar book says about the distinctions:
'May' represents 'factual possibility' and 'can' represents 'theoretical possibility'
The difference is clarified by these set of equivalent statements:
(A) Factual: The road may be blocked=It is possible that the road is blocked
(B) Theoretical: The road can be blocked=It is possible for the road to be blocked
'may' is paraphrased by It is possibled followed by a that clause, but 'can' is paraphrased by It is possible followed by a (for+Noun phrase+)to infinitive construction.
The second sentence (B) describes a theoretically conceivable happening whereas the first feels more immediate, because the actual likelihood of an event's taking place is being considered.
Ok, my question is:
What is the difference in meaning between the following sentences?
A: We may see you tomorrow
B: We can see you tomorrow
The author of my grammar book says, "'can' could not replace may without a considerable change in meaning", but he doesn't go on to explain the difference in meaning at all.
I kind of doubt, in the first place, if the second sentence can be paraphrased as the following:
We can see you tomorrow=It is possible for us to see you tomorrow or It will be possible for us to see you tomorrow(???)
The sentence refers to one possble(actual) event, which does not fit the description of 'theoretical possibility.
And likewise I don't uderstand why 'can' is used in the following sentences.
A: Can you come over for dinner tonight?
B: Yes, I can come over for dinner tonight.
I can come over for dinner tonight=It is possible for me to come over for dinner tonight(??)
Could anyone help me with this? I would really appreciate it.
Top answer
Anonymous (A) Factual: The road may be blocked=It is possible that the road is blocked (B) Theoretical: The road can be blocked=It is possible for the road to be blocked May: Let's not take that route. The bridge may be closed. ) The highway department may close that bridge whenever it is dangerous.
- Anonymous (A) Factual: The road may be blocked=It is possible that the road is blocked (B) Theoretical: The road can be blocked=It is possible for the road to be blocked May: Let's not take that route.
- The bridge may be closed.
- ) The highway department may close that bridge whenever it is dangerous.
- ) Can: The highway department can close that bridge whenever it is dangerous.
- ) A: We may see you tomorrow.
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4 Answers
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Anonymous(A) Factual: The road may be blocked=It is possible that the road is blockedMay:
(B) Theoretical: The road can be blocked=It is possible for the road to be blocked
Let's not take that route. The bridge may be closed. ( I think about the possibility of driving to the bridge and finding that the way is blocked.)
The highway depart
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AnonymousWhat is the difference in meaning between the following sentences?A: It is logically possible that we will see you tomorrow. Who knows what may happen? Maybe we will see you; maybe we won't see you. We will have to wait and see what happens tomorrow. It depends on where you are and wh
A: We may see you tomorrow
B: We can see you tomorrow
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Thank you for taking the time to answer my question.
It is now very clear what the difference in meaning between the two is.
It really helped!
It is now very clear what the difference in meaning between the two is.
It really helped!
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Thank you for answering my question!
It is really difficulf for non-native English speakers to understand these concetps and your answer definitely clarified the ambiguities. Thanks!
It is really difficulf for non-native English speakers to understand these concetps and your answer definitely clarified the ambiguities. Thanks!
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