May & Might: The Maybe Twins
May and might open the maybe door: what could happen, what you are not sure about. May is also the politest permission on Earth.
May & Might
Two doors, one maybe
May and might are the maybe twins: they open the door of possibility. May is the slightly surer twin and the politest permission word; might adds a little more doubt.
May — possible
maybe yesIt may rain tomorrow
Might — less sure
maybe, with more doubtShe might be at home
May — polite permission
the formal green lightMay I come in?
The maybe ladder
must (sure) → may → might (not sure)He may know the answer
⚠️ May = maybe. Might = maybe, but with more doubt.
The Formula
May/might + bare verb
Like all modals, may and might sit before a bare verb and never change: no -s, no to, no do. The negative is may not or might not.
Itmay raintomorrow
Shemight beat home
Hemay not knowthe answer
May Icomein?
Common Mistakes
Four maybe slips
The maybe twins get dressed up with -s and to — they need neither. And may has one job it never takes: asking someone else to act.
He mays come later.
He may come later.
💡 No -s after may/might.
We may to go out.
We may go out.
💡 Bare verb after may/might — no to.
I might goes home.
I might go home.
💡 might + bare verb, no -s.
May you pass the salt?
Could you pass the salt?
💡 May asks for my own permission — requests to others use could.
Quick Quiz
Test what you just learned
Three minutes, five questions — check what stuck. No essay questions, we promise.
It ___ rain later, so take an umbrella.
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The Certainty Ladder
From sure to impossible
All the modals of certainty sit on one ladder. May and might live in the middle — not sure, but not impossible either.
must
very sure — the evidence is strong
She must be at work by now
should
probably — what you expect
He should be home soon
may
possible — could go either way
It may snow tonight
might
less likely — a small chance
We might stay home
can't
impossible — the evidence says no
That can't be true
⚠️ Top of the ladder: sure. Bottom: impossible. Maybe lives in the middle.
Who Does What
The maybe family at work
Match each word with its job. The twins share the maybe, but they do it with different manners.
⚠️ The next lesson: the certainty ladder returns for past deductions.