May and Might: Degrees of Possibility and Distance
Use may and might for present, future, and past possibility while controlling modal distance, concession, and tentative suggestion.
Learning Objective
May and Might: Degrees of Possibility and Distance
Express different kinds of possibility and tentativeness without assigning fixed percentage meanings to may and might.
Clear Explanation
May and might express epistemic possibility; might often creates greater remoteness or tentativeness, but context determines the strength. Perfect and continuous infinitives locate the possible situation in time and aspect.
Form and Structure
may/might + base verb; may/might be + -ing; may/might have + past participle
“The figures may change after review.”
May is not always more probable than might. Reported viewpoint, politeness, hypothetical distance, and regional preference can be more important than probability strength.
Meaning and Use
Time reference
Change the infinitive, not the modal itself, to refer to ongoing or completed situations.
“might be waiting; might have left”
Tentative stance
Might can soften suggestions and evaluations, particularly in formal or interpersonal contexts.
“You might want to clarify the final paragraph.”
Concession
May/might ... but concedes one point before asserting a contrasting, more important point.
“The method may be slow, but it is reliable.”
Common Errors and Meaning Traps
She might to arrive later.
She might arrive later.
A modal is followed by a bare infinitive.
They may left already.
They may have left already.
Use a perfect infinitive for a possible completed past event.
It might probably rain.
It might rain.
Might already marks possibility; probably can create an awkward clash of modal strength here.
Guided Practice
Use the grammar in context
“She might be working off-site today.”
“They may have misunderstood the brief.”
Write possibilities about now, an ongoing event, and the past, then add a tentative suggestion and a concessive may...but sentence.
Quick Recap
May and might express epistemic possibility; might often creates greater remoteness or tentativeness, but context determines the strength. Perfect and continuous infinitives locate the possible situation in time and aspect.
Change the infinitive, not the modal itself, to refer to ongoing or completed situations.
May is not always more probable than might. Reported viewpoint, politeness, hypothetical distance, and regional preference can be more important than probability strength.
A modal is followed by a bare infinitive.
Independent Mastery Check
Complete these four checks before taking the quiz. If one feels difficult, return to the matching section and try again.
Explain the core rule in your own words without looking back at the lesson.
Find the target form in “The figures may change after review.” and explain what it communicates in this context.
Explain why “She might arrive later.” is the recommended revision for “She might to arrive later.”.
Write possibilities about now, an ongoing event, and the past, then add a tentative suggestion and a concessive may...but sentence.
Continue at C1-C2 Level
Aim for at least 5 out of 6 in the quiz below. For every missed answer, read the explanation, return to the relevant section, and try the quiz again.
Which statement best explains May and Might: Degrees of Possibility and Distance?
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