English Café: May or Might?

Advanced Details: May and Might?

The flight took off 2 hours ago. Somsak may be in Songkha already. He might go offshore early tomorrow morning although the early flight is usually fully booked.

The word may is typically used in the present tense to indicate something that’s likely to happen. May is also used to ask for permission.

• Your performance is great. You may be in line for a promotion. – present tense possibility
• It may rain all day, but I'm still playing golf! – something is likely to happen
• Luk, you may go to the movies tonight, my son. – to give permission
• You may not change the numbers, under any circumstances. – confident negative permission reply

The word might is typically used in the past tense to describe something that’s unlikely to happen. Might is also used in situations that didn’t take place.

• We might have made a mistake yesterday when we updated the figures. – past tense possibility
• I might know more French grammar than she does, but I don’t think so. – very low possibility
• If we had submitted the bid on time, we might have won the contract.