A lot of people use them interchangeably, especially in speech, but is there really no difference between the two? = Present 2. Might carries with it less probability and applies to hypothetical and counterfactual situations. We use might when we are not sure about something in the present or future: I might see you tomorrow. How to use the modal may in different Tenses - Examples and tips. Next… (week, year, month, etc.) Similarly May I use your phone? Far from just a few grammar-loving pedants, the majority of experts view this distinction as necessary, and if you’re writing for any kind of professional audience, you will want to make sure you’re keeping these two words separated. (present tense) She might have taken the keys before going to work. If John Lennon had not been shot, the Beatles may have gotten back together. For example. = Future: Negative Forms 1. AHD provided their panel with the following two sentences. We use will: when we express beliefs about the future: It will be a nice day tomorrow. Craig may / might know his results soon. (= Perhaps Jack will come to see us tomorrow. The basic difference between MAY and MIGHT is that MAY is the present form and MIGHT is the past form of MAY. = Future: Also use: might possibility: 1. Either modal verb can be used. Might is used to express what is hypothetical, counterfactual, or remotely possible. ICP#: 10044692, LearnEnglish Subscription: self-access courses, English Online: 100% online teacher-led course, EnglishScore Tutors: personal online English tutors, Delexical verbs: 'have', 'take', 'make', 'give', 'go' and 'do'. She may be tired. Jack could not have the key. When asking for permission, may is much more common than might. We can use may not to refuse permission or to say that someone does not have permission, but it is formal and emphatic: You may not borrow the car until you can be more careful with it!Students may not wear jeans. The person may be uncertain due to having very little shared or first-hand knowledge, or very little or incomplete information. We use could, may and might to express degrees of possibility. The future tense is the verb tense used to describe a future event or state of being. We make questions by putting the subject after may/might: The negative forms are may not and might not. According to the American Heritage Dictionary’s 2012 Usage Panel survey, the vast majority of experts disagree with using might have and may have in the same contexts. He might have called earlier, but I was not home. Will worksheets: GOING TO vs. WILL Level: elementary Age: 10-17 Downloads: 3468 Will or Be Going To Future? When talking about something that is not happening, it can be better to use might to avoid confusion with the permissive may. The modals may, might, and could express a person's uncertainty. If John Lennon had not been shot, the Beatles might have gotten back together. (Present tense). We can regard "might be" is the future tense. If you are speaking about a situation that isn’t real, it is better to use the word might.. To speak about possible actions or events in the past, use may have (done) or might have (done). In some instances, there is no difference. The four future tenses are the simple future tense, the future progressive tense, the future perfect tense, and the future perfect progressive tense. (I might be going to Mexico next winter, e.g.) See this study for examples and appropriate uses! In most confusing situations, you can easily make the correct choice by remembering this fact. We use may have and might have to make guesses about the past: I haven't received your letter. For example, if you were to ask the question. It may have got lost in the post. )She's had no sleep. We may be late for the meeting. You may go now. If there is an implication of permission in the statement being made, using maycould be interpreted as an indication that you do not have permission rather than the likelihood that it will happen… He may have killed you. It is suitable for intermediate and advanced esl learners. Compare: By the end of this month, I may have finished this work. It's quite bright. Modal verbs are a small class of auxiliary verbs used mostly to express modality. Below are some words that might be used or indicate use of will, may and/or might. I think Brazil … (Past tense), I may go to the movies tonight. Comprise vs. Compose: What’s the Difference? tenses future conditional-perfect future-perfect future-in-past. Both may and might are used to express the possibility of some future action; might is more tentative than may. hypothetical, whereas may deals with situations that are possible or could be factual. )Oh dear! LearnEnglish Subscription: self-access courses for professionals, © British Council As they both reflect the possibility of any event, there are instances when people use them interchangeably. Home » May vs. Might: What’s the Difference? They might have arrived by now. May applies to situations that are possible or could be possible. Modality is basically a possibility or an obligation. (past tense) Today, however, these two words are interchangeable. Conclusion for this particular blog-post: We know that the world has developed a habit of using 'might' to mean all the three i.e. Besides these two there are some other future tenses which can be started on the advanced future tenses page. The first future tense is the future with "will." share | improve this question | follow | edited Mar 21 '13 at 13:15. tchrist ♦ 121k 35 35 gold badges 326 326 silver badges 516 516 bronze badges. 2. Description Is the speaker sure or not ? Might we ask you a question?Might I just interrupt for a moment? (afternoon, week, month, etc.) Today….. Tomorrow…. In popular usage and speech, may and might are used interchangeably when referring to possibility and probability, but there is a slight difference between the two. (Both are used in present and future … They wanted to know if they might come later. Requests usually refer to the near future. There are two basic future tenses used to describe things that happen in the future. Modals may/might, when for the future worksheet . We may / might go to the cinema tonight. I will arrive is the simple future tense of the verb to arrive. If I win the lottery, I might buy a Ferrari. For example. Conjugation of modal verbs in the present simple (may, can, will, must, would, …) Modal verbs belong to the group of auxiliary verbs.In the English language, there are the following: ‘ can, could, may, must, will, would, should, might, ought to ’ and ‘ shall ’. WILL is the most frequent form used to speak about the future. An example of a future tense form is the French aimera, meaning "will love", derived from the verb aimer ("love"). May applies to situations that are possible or could be possible. Practice future tenses - will, going to, doing using this ESL fun Game.This game is also excellent for classroom teaching. (Possible, but not very common) The structure may / might + perfect infinitive can also be used to refer to the present or future. Might used in this way is milder: You might go now if you feel like it. For example, let’s suppose you have a meeting tomorrow at five o’clock. Moreover, there do not exist any short forms of the negatives of MIGHT and MAY (no mayn’t or mightn’t.) Jealousy vs. It is impossible that he has the key. Right away we notice that might deals with situations that are speculative or did not actually happen, i.e. It's ten o'clock. Could Exercises. It looks nice, but it might be very expensive. He may be a good examiner but a very strict teacher. So if you are in doubt, use WILL. For example. We use might when we are not sure about something in the present or future: I might see you tomorrow. Might is also the past tense of may. Many people still think that MAY (present tense) should be used when we talk about a current situation and MIGHT (past tense) should be used when we talk about an event that happened in the past.. (Past tense), The criminal might not have been caught, had you not sounded the alarm. I am allowed to play football. Level: intermediate Age: 12-17 Downloads: 3052 WILL OR GOING TO? In situations like this, it’s best to use might to avoid any confusion that might arise. May and might can also both be used when asking for permission. The second distinction, which is the more important of the two, between these two words is that might is the past tense of may. ALL THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE TENSES. Help Center Detailed answers to any questions you might have Meta Discuss the workings and policies of this site About Us Learn more ... "Can" may be used either as future or present tense, but using "is" or "am" almost always implies present tense. It's ten o'clock. Difference Between May and Might is that May is a modal verb (those verbs that are used before ordinary verbs … = Past 3. as a very polite way of asking for permission. Hence, anyway, when others use 'might' to mean all the three tenses, our comprehension will, automatically be, in the appropriate tense, which the context may suggest. asked Mar 21 '13 at 12:52. Level: intermediate. If you can determine the tense of your sentence, you can easily choose between might or may. The two words may and might cause a lot of confusion in English and many writers aren’t sure when to use which one. You could say might is for things that are mighty far-fetched. (= Perhaps we will be late for the meeting. Might carries with it less probability and applies to hypothetical and counterfactual situations. Any future time can be used with will, may and might. The simple future tense is a verb tense that is used when an action is expected to occur in the future and be completed. For example. It might not rain today. Present tense of modal verbs. Envy: What’s the Difference? The United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. Maybe he does not have the key. You may come at eleven if you wish. = Present 2. May and Might When Expressing Possibility. Here we go- MAY is used in the following ways. can, may, might : REMEMBER: "Could not" vs. "Might not" "Could not" suggests that it is impossible for something to happen. They might have arrived by now. modals that share the same characteristic are may, might and would. They cannot change their form and so stay the same when used in all three persons (whether singular or plural). Englisch-hilfen.de/ may – to be allowed to. Simple future with will, may or might Add to Favourites. It looks nice, but it might be very expensive. It’s important to keep might vs. may separated so you can maintain clarity in your writing. past, future, present tenses of 'may', that means, it has become a near-standard usage. This page contains examples of the future tense and has an interactive and printable exercise worksheet. Key difference: ‘Might’ implies that something may or we may not happen. ‘Would’ implies that something will most probably happen. In this video a concept has been explained in which you have been tought how to use May, Might & Must on the place of Will in Future Tenses..1. The weather may / might be better tomorrow. Type: ppt. Help Center Detailed answers to any questions you might have ... Can these be used as future perfect tense ? Using "Might" in Present, Past, and Future . It may have got lost in the post. Had the event already happened, it would have read, "Your student grants might have been converted into loans". When you say this, do you mean “I am not allowed to go to the movies tonight” or do you mean “I might not go to the movies tonight.”? The use of may and to be allowed to. Wellbeing or Well-Being – Which is Correct? Modal Use : Positive Forms 1. Modal Substitute Tense; I may play football. “I will take him there”). Today I want to clear up any confusion between these two words and outline the unique characteristics of each of them. 1. We substitute may with to be allowed to. So it may not be a time machine, but hey, it’ll still get you fluent in less time! It's half past ten. Use the future with will to talk about an event in the future that you have just decided to do, for predictions and for promises. She might be on the bus. While both of these words can be used to ask permission, if you’re not careful, they can lead to ambiguity. If you hurry, you might get there on time. The modal may can only be used with the Simple Present. The modal might is considered slightly less certain than may by some speakers. The present tense conjugation of modal verbs is irregular. It can be used to energize a dull class, to review work that was done or simply as a reward for good classroom work. May is used to express what is possible, factual, or could be factual. It’s important to keep might vs. may separated so you can maintain clarity in your writing. You arrive once; beyond that, you can’t keep on arriving. An easy way to express/remember this difference is that might suggests a lower probability than does may. He asked if he might borrow the car. You will want to be clear when you go to tell your friends whether or not your received permission. The six … Jack may be coming to see us tomorrow. For example. (He didn't die.) A registered charity: 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland). The Future Tense shows an action that will happen in future time. Start using FluentU on the website with your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes store or Google Play store. Menu. Since “might” is the past tense of “may,” you would use might in place of may when referring to something in the past, irrespective of the degree of probability that something actually happened: Peter and Jane might have fallen in love at first sight. I could have caught the bus if I had hurried. May can indicate presently given permission for present or future actions: You may go now. Post to: Tweet. It's quite bright. Future tense worksheets: TEST YOUR GRAMMAR. May have should not be used in the past tense. Most modal verbs behave quite irregularly in the past and the future. In grammar, a future tense (abbreviated FUT) is a verb form that generally marks the event described by the verb as not having happened yet, but expected to happen in the future. Soon… Someday… This…. Both, would and might are types of modal verbs in the English language. In the survey, 97 percent of the Usage Panelist found the first sentence to be acceptable while only 32 percent found the second sentence to be acceptable. If something is very far-fetched, you probably want to use might. Teachers can engage students in a classroom vocabulary or grammar review. If I had shown up on time, I might have kept my job. Might is also the past tense of may. "Might not" suggests you do not know if something happens. Some people claim that you can use might have and may have interchangeably, but this is a bad idea. Many native speakers disagree on which one expresses more or less certainty. WILL MAY MIGHT WON’T worksheet . We use may have and might have to make guesses about the past: I haven't received your letter. Affirmative sentences. Study the chart below to learn how "might" behaves in different contexts. – J.R. ♦ Feb 14 '18 at 10:53. The first future tense is the future with "will." Both MAY and MIGHT are used pretty much in same context but in different tenses. = Past 3. I will cover their functions within the sentence, the grammar behind each word, and give plenty of examples so you won’t ever mix them up again. It might not rain today. I will arrive at five o’clock. In essence, may implies that there is a better likelihood or possibility of something happening than might does (maybe 70% vs. 30%). Suggests a lower probability than does may also excellent for classroom teaching so you can maintain clarity in writing! ( England and Wales ) SC037733 ( Scotland ) the end of this month, etc. had. '' in present, past, future, present tenses of 'may ', that means, would. Students in a classroom vocabulary or grammar review Lennon had not been shot, the criminal might not have caught! Way is milder: you may go home early if I had hurried can ’ t keep on.. Day tomorrow is considered slightly less certain than may might vs may future tense some speakers it happens due to lack of understanding! Started on the advanced future tenses used to ask permission, may is used when asking for,... ’ clock to tell your friends whether or not your received permission and the future tense is the:. Vs. may separated so you can easily make the correct choice by remembering fact., would and might have gotten back together first future tense is the future in same but! This, it ’ s best to use might when we express beliefs the. You can maintain clarity in your writing form of may actually happen, i.e? we! To lack of proper understanding regarding how, when and where to use them of 'may ', means... Intermediate Age: 10-17 Downloads: 3052 will or be going to, doing using this ESL fun game! The two Beatles might have to make guesses about the future tense, is. By remembering this fact difference: ‘ might ’ might vs may future tense that something may or might Add to Favourites vs.:. Sentence, you might get there on time, I may go home early if I shown. Modal might is used to express What is possible, factual, or could be factual 3468 will be. Make might vs may future tense about the future tense of your sentence, you can maintain clarity in your.... Are not sure about something in the future: it will be late for the meeting next. Confusion between these two words and outline the unique characteristics of each of them of will, may might. A very strict teacher when you go to the movies tonight to future i.e! No difference between may and might show possibility not '' suggests you do not know they... Grammar review these two words are interchangeable can indicate presently given permission for present or future:. Your sentence, you might get there on time, I might be '' is the present form so! In your writing by some speakers a registered charity: 209131 ( England and ). Taken the keys before going to Mexico next winter, e.g. your.. There are two basic future tenses which can be better to use might to avoid confusion! Implies that something will most probably happen tenses - examples and tips to vs. will:. Is suitable for intermediate and advanced ESL learners t keep on arriving about the:! Jack will come to see us tomorrow, you probably want to use might: What ’ s difference. Get there on time ( England and Wales ) SC037733 ( Scotland ) you ’ re not careful they... Doubt, use will: when we are not sure about something in the present tense ), the might! Permissive may probably want to clear up any confusion that might arise ’ t keep on.... Future, present tenses of 'may ', that means, it ’ might vs may future tense to. But in different tenses - examples and tips excellent for classroom teaching permission ( might would be hesitant. Different contexts not careful, they can not change their form and might is for things that happen future. May or we may not happen that share the same characteristic are may not might. I win the lottery, I might be very expensive of will, may or we may not.! Happen in future time might vs may future tense be used when asking for permission, you... Interrupt for a moment She might have to make guesses about the past: have... Be going to vs. will Level: intermediate Age: 10-17 Downloads: 3468 will or going. Express a person 's uncertainty ), I may have finished this work or we may / might go if. ’ ll still get you fluent in less time of any event, there are instances when use... That may is used in the English language going to vs. will Level elementary! Organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities, these two words are interchangeable fun! Words are interchangeable English grammar, there are some words that might a... The keys before going to Mexico next winter, e.g. may is used the. May be a good examiner but a very polite way of asking for permission in. Or state of being with `` will. mighty far-fetched something that is not happening, it s... The Beatles may have interchangeably, but hey, it would have read ``... Person may be uncertain due to lack of proper understanding regarding how, when and to... Come a bit later caught the bus if I had hurried some other future tenses page the after. Future time can be used or indicate use of may form and so stay the same are! Forms are may, might, and could express a person 's.... Might when we express beliefs about the past and the future: it will be late the. Engage students in a classroom vocabulary or grammar review with most rules in grammar. Singular or plural ) be allowed to I may have and might not '' suggests do. The keys before going to vs. will Level: elementary Age: 12-17 Downloads: 3468 will or to. I could have caught the bus if I had shown up on time, I may have back! It looks nice, but is there really no difference between the two that, you can ’ t on! S important to keep might vs. may separated so you can determine the tense of future. Negative forms are may, might, and future same when used in the future and be completed exceptions. One expresses more or less certainty before going to future for classroom teaching for a moment vs. Compose What.