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English_Learner123 Posted 17 years ago
Grammar

Difference between may have and might have

Hi,

could anyone please tell me the difference between might have and may have?


He might have gone yesterday, if you had come.

He may have gone yesterday, if you had come.

Is there any difference between above two sentences, or are both same?
  

Top answer

English_Learner123 Is there any difference between above two sentences, or are both same? may and might are basically the same in meaning in almost all cases, but might is better when there are past tenses in other clauses of the same sentence. So I would use the first of the two because might goes with had come better than may does, in my opinion.

— CalifJim

  • English_Learner123 Is there any difference between above two sentences, or are both same?
  • may and might are basically the same in meaning in almost all cases, but might is better when there are past tenses in other clauses of the same sentence.
  • So I would use the first of the two because might goes with had come better than may does, in my opinion.
  • Also, might takes the meaning here: It is possible that he would have decided to go yesterday if you had come.
  • may does not convey that intended meaning so well.
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6 Answers
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English_Learner123Is there any difference between above two sentences, or are both same?
may and might are basically the same in meaning in almost all cases, but might is better when there are past tenses in other clauses of the same sentence. So I would use the first of the two because might goes with had come better than
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'May' means 'it is possible'.

'might' means 'it was/would be possible'

If he had come he might have seen (but he didn't see)

If he came he may have seen (I don't know whether he came, but if he did it is possible he saw)

I may win the lottery (it is possible I'll win since I have a ticket)

I might win the lottery (it would be possible if I bought a tick
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The first implies that he didn't go and couldn't go because you did not come.

The second is ungrammatical because it implies that his going is still an open question, whereas it was conditional upon your coming (which didn't happen).
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is there any difference between might have and may have?
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Exactly. How can so many journalists be unaware of the distinction?
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It's a distinction that is dying. Emotion: crying
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