0
Vincent Teo Posted 17 years ago
Grammar

May / could

Can I say,

May you give me a ruler?

Could you give me a ruler?
  

Top answer

May you give me a ruler? You cannot use 'may' to ask someone to give you a ruler. You can use 'may' to make a polite request this way: May I have a ruler?

— Yankee

  • May you give me a ruler?
  • You cannot use 'may' to ask someone to give you a ruler.
  • You can use 'may' to make a polite request this way: May I have a ruler?
  • Could you give me a ruler?
  • Yes, this would be a standard way to ask someone to give you a ruler.
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

1 Answers
0
May you give me a ruler? You cannot use 'may' to ask someone to give you a ruler. You can use 'may' to make a polite request this way:
May I have a ruler?

Could you give me a ruler? Yes, this would be a standard way to ask someone to give you a ruler.
0

Related Questions