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Seagull Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

You may not take photos

You may not take photos in the museum.

One of my dictionaries says that this structure is used in a notice in museums and the like, but I have never seen anything like it. Does this sentence sound natural to native speakers?

Besides, can we say that generally, we should use the structure "You cannot ..." or "You mustn't ..." instead of "You may not ..." when you don't allow someone to do something?
  

Top answer

While the expression sounds natural enough, it is lengthy for a notice. With the advent of electronic devices such as IPads and Cellphones, it is much easier to do so without aiming a camera. “You cannot…” would simply throw up a challenge to prove that you can.

— Wilpeter

  • While the expression sounds natural enough, it is lengthy for a notice.
  • With the advent of electronic devices such as IPads and Cellphones, it is much easier to do so without aiming a camera.
  • “You cannot…” would simply throw up a challenge to prove that you can.
  • “You mustn’t…” is more likely the verbal equivalent, rather than a sign.
  • I would expect to see “Taking photos of exhibits is prohibited”
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4 Answers
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While the expression sounds natural enough, it is lengthy for a notice.
With the advent of electronic devices such as IPads and Cellphones, it is much easier to do so without aiming a camera.
“You cannot…” would simply throw up a challenge to prove that you can.
“You mustn’t…” is more likely the verbal equivalent, rather than a sign.
I would expect to see “Taking photos of exhibit
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I understand.
Thank you very much indeed, Wilpeter.
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Many thanks, Teechr!
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