May and Might 1
Using may and might to talk about present and future possibility
May and Might for Possibility
Use may or might to say that something is possible — you are not sure.
- “Where’s Ben?” “He may be in his office.” (= perhaps he is in his office)
- “He might be having lunch.” (= perhaps he is having lunch)
- “Ask Kate. She might know.” (= perhaps she knows)
May and might mean the same thing here. You can use either one:
- It may be true. or It might be true.
- She might know. or She may know.
Structure
| may / might | verb form | |
|---|---|---|
| I / you / he / she / it / we / they | may (not) | be (ready / in the office etc.) |
| might (not) | be + -ing (working / waiting etc.) | |
| know / want / have etc. |
- The manager may not be available right now. (= perhaps she isn’t available)
- He might not want to join the call. (= perhaps he doesn’t want to)
- They might be waiting for us in the lobby. (= perhaps they are waiting)
May Be vs. Maybe
Watch out — may be (two words) is a verb, and maybe (one word) is an adverb that means “perhaps.”
- It may be true. (may + verb)
- “Is it true?” ”Maybe. I’m not sure.” (= perhaps)
Talking About the Past: May Have / Might Have
For past possibility, use may have + past participle or might have + past participle.
- “I wonder why Kate didn’t answer her phone.” “She may have been asleep.” (= perhaps she was asleep)
- “I can’t find my phone anywhere.” “You might have left it at work.” (= perhaps you left it at work)
- “Why wasn’t Amy at the meeting yesterday?” “She might not have known about it.” (= perhaps she didn’t know)
- “David was in a bad mood yesterday.” “He may not have been feeling well.” (= perhaps he wasn’t feeling well)
| may / might | have + past participle | |
|---|---|---|
| I / you / he / she / it / we / they | may (not) have | been (asleep / at home etc.) |
| might (not) have | been + -ing (working / feeling etc.) | |
| known / left / had etc. |
Could for Possibility
Could works like may and might when you talk about possibility:
- It’s a strange story, but it could be true. (= it is possible that it’s true)
- You could have left your phone at work. (= it’s possible that you left it there)
Couldn’t Have vs. Might Not Have
Couldn’t have and might not have are different.
Couldn’t have = it is not possible:
- Sarah couldn’t have received my message. She would have replied. (= it is not possible that she got it)
Might not have = perhaps it didn’t happen, but you’re not sure:
- Sarah might not have received my message. (= perhaps she didn’t receive it — perhaps she did, perhaps she didn’t)
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| couldn’t have + past participle | impossible — you are sure it didn’t happen | He couldn’t have seen the email. He was on a flight all day. |
| might not have + past participle | possible — you are not sure | He might not have seen the email yet. |
Quick Self-Check
"Where's the project manager?" "I'm not sure. She _____ in a client meeting."
Select your answer:
"Why didn't Tom come to the training session?" "He _____ about it."
Select your answer:
"Is the budget report ready?" "___. I haven't checked."
Select your answer:
The supplier _____ the shipment already. Let me check the tracking system.
Select your answer:
"The office was locked when I arrived, but Laura says she was inside all morning." "She _____ you knock. The walls are thick."
Select your answer: