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Viceidol Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
"may not" and "might not"
0 ．Students 01 b 01 font 00 may not 02 font 02 b 00 use the staff car park. 02 br
02 br
00 ．You 01 b 01 font 00 may not 02 font 02 b 00 take photographs in the museum. 02 br
02 br
00 ．Visitors 01 b 01 font 00 may not 02 font 02 b 00 feed the animals. 02 br
02 br
00 May I ask if I can replace the "may not" with 01 b 00 " 01 font 00 might not 02 font 00 " 02 b 00 ? Like: 02 br
02 br
00 ．Students 01 b 01 font 00 might not 02 font 02 b 00 use the staff car park. 02 br
02 br
00 ．You 01 font 01 font 01 b 00 might not 02 b 02 font 02 font 00 take photographs in the museum. 02 br
02 br
00 ．Visitors 01 b 01 font 00 might not 02 font 02 b 00 feed the animals. 02 br
02 br
00 Are they suitable? Please help me with my question. Thank you! 0-
02 br
00 ．You 01 b 01 font 00 may not 02 font 02 b 00 take photographs in the museum. 02 br
02 br
00 ．Visitors 01 b 01 font 00 may not 02 font 02 b 00 feed the animals. 02 br
02 br
00 May I ask if I can replace the "may not" with 01 b 00 " 01 font 00 might not 02 font 00 " 02 b 00 ? Like: 02 br
02 br
00 ．Students 01 b 01 font 00 might not 02 font 02 b 00 use the staff car park. 02 br
02 br
00 ．You 01 font 01 font 01 b 00 might not 02 b 02 font 02 font 00 take photographs in the museum. 02 br
02 br
00 ．Visitors 01 b 01 font 00 might not 02 font 02 b 00 feed the animals. 02 br
02 br
00 Are they suitable? Please help me with my question. Thank you! 0-
Top answer
0 Hi, 02 br 02 br 00 I think they are not suitable in the context you gave because changing 'may not' with 'might not' in your context puts a different flavor to the sentences. Although at the first glance it mainly seems to carry the notion of giving permission to do something, 'may not' has a hint of ordering in your case and that is the kind of impression, I think, any person using a sentence with 'may not' wants to make. I would go further and say that I think it is wrong to say 'You 01 u 00 might not do 02 u 00 somethng' to say what I think you wanted to say.
- 0 Hi, 02 br 02 br 00 I think they are not suitable in the context you gave because changing 'may not' with 'might not' in your context puts a different flavor to the sentences.
- Although at the first glance it mainly seems to carry the notion of giving permission to do something, 'may not' has a hint of ordering in your case and that is the kind of impression, I think, any person using a sentence with 'may not' wants to make.
- I would go further and say that I think it is wrong to say 'You 01 u 00 might not do 02 u 00 somethng' to say what I think you wanted to say.
- 02 br 02 br 00 Try to imagine where you would normally find that kind of sentences.
- 02 br 02 br 00 You may not put any objects into the pens.
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7 Answers
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0 Hi, 02 br
02 br
00 I think they are not suitable in the context you gave because changing 'may not' with 'might not' in your context puts a different flavor to the sentences. Although at the first glance it mainly seems to carry the notion of giving permission to do something, 'may not' has a hint of ordering in your case and that is the kind of impression, I think, any person
02 br
00 I think they are not suitable in the context you gave because changing 'may not' with 'might not' in your context puts a different flavor to the sentences. Although at the first glance it mainly seems to carry the notion of giving permission to do something, 'may not' has a hint of ordering in your case and that is the kind of impression, I think, any person
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0 There is a short answer, but it is difficult to understand at first: Modals that grant or deny permission have no past tense. 02 br
00 If you say that someone 01 i 01 u 00 may not 02 u 00 feed the animals 02 i 00 , you're saying that they 01 i 01 u 00 do not have permission 02 u 00 to feed the animals 02 i 00 . It's den
00 If you say that someone 01 i 01 u 00 may not 02 u 00 feed the animals 02 i 00 , you're saying that they 01 i 01 u 00 do not have permission 02 u 00 to feed the animals 02 i 00 . It's den
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0 I don't think I am reading 01 i 00 might 02 i 00 in these sentences as Jim does, as a past, but surely I agree with him that: 02 br
01 i 00 Visitors 01 u 00 might not 02 u 00 feed the animals 02 i 00 means 01 i 01 u 00 It is possible that 02 u 00 visitors will 01 u 00 not 02 u 00 feed the animals 0
01 i 00 Visitors 01 u 00 might not 02 u 00 feed the animals 02 i 00 means 01 i 01 u 00 It is possible that 02 u 00 visitors will 01 u 00 not 02 u 00 feed the animals 0
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0 Thank you, Believer, Jim and Marius Hancu. What you've said is far better than my grammar books. Thank you. 0-
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0 Viceidol, 02 br
00 Do you have Swan? This stuff on may/might/can/could is quite well treated there. 0-
00 Do you have Swan? This stuff on may/might/can/could is quite well treated there. 0-
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I am german and you are confusing me. This must be american english. The modern easy english. Because if you don't have permission to do something, it's "you mustn't" in simple present and "won't be allowed" in Future I and "wasn't allowed" in simple past. That is why I prefer british english for my education, not the Kim Kardashian english. Like what? Like really?
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there is no such thing as 'simple' English. The English language is one of the most grammatically confusing languages in the world. they are speaking and discussing typical English... this is the same language used in England. as an English citizen I can confirm that.
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