May/might

Question

Can "might" be used instead of "may"?"The only potential advantage of the monolithic kernel is performance. Trapping to the kernel and doing everything there may well be faster than sending messages to remote servers."

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

anonymousCan "might" be used instead of "may"?

Yes. "might" can almost always be used instead of "may".

The choice depends on the style of the text. The style here is rather academic, and it involves specialized vocabulary such as is used in scientific texts. That may/might be why 'may' was chosen.

CJ

BillJ · Answer

It's about the two basic dialects, A and B, which are differentiated by reference to constructions like

1. I thought it might rain before we got home.

2. I thought it may rain before we got home.

In the older Dialect A (which I speak) [2] is ungrammatical (just like *I thought I can finish the book before I got home): [1], with “might” is required. In Dialect B, [2] is possible as well as [1]. In Dialect A, “might” is undoubtedly the preterite counterpart of “may”, just as “could” is of “can” because it is the form required in backshift. In Dialect B there's no basis for retaining (from earlier stages of the language) the analysis of "might" as the preterite of “may”: it must be a distinct lexeme.

One factor facilitating this linguistic change is that “might” even in Dialect A is hardly used in the primary sense of the preterite, to indicate past time: we usually say “was/were allowed” rather than “might” for past time permission, e.g. He told me I / we might go).

(Incidentally I have recently noticed that in Frank Palmer's Mood and Modality (2nd edn) he says on p. 14 that “might” can be used for past time and then on p.100 that it can't!).

May/might

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