Seloc@n  +  271070 Sat, 23 Sep 06 12:40 AM Could you explain to me the difference  between  may   and  might ? Seloc@n Joined on Fri, Sep 15 2006 Junior Member 78

	Optimus  +  271140 Sat, 23 Sep 06 04:48 AM may and might.  It may rain. It might rain. What’s the difference? Just as could is the past tense of can, might is the past tense of may: We thought we might win the tournament. But might can also be used as a substitute for may to show diminished possibility. Thus, saying We might go to the movies means that the likelihood of going is somewhat less than if you say We may go to the movies. When used to express permission, might has a higher degree of politeness than may. Thus, Might I express my opinion conveys less insistence than May I express my opinion. -bartleby Optimus Joined on Tue, Jul 26 2005 Junior Member 71 Could the true reason we fear the unknown be that we know ourselves too well? -The Outer Limits Tenses, Past Tenses

	milky  +  271180 Sat, 23 Sep 06 08:49 AM As the other poster said, there's time, possibility/likelihood and social relations ("politeness" is a limited concept) involved in choosing which to use. We thought we might have won. DISTANCE IN  TIME (and possibility) We might go to the beach this weekend. DISTANCE OF POSSIBILITY/LIKELIHOOD Might I help you, sir? DISTANCE IN SOCIAL RELATIONS We may win today. CLOSENESS IN  TIME (and possibility) We may go to the beach this weekend. CLOSE POSSIBILITY/LIKELIHOOD May I help you, sir? CLOSENESS IN SOCIAL RELATIONS milky Joined on Thu, Jan 15 2004 Senior Member 3,149 Hume said that if we had perfect or complete descriptive knowledge of reality, we could not, by reasoning, derive a single valid "ought".

	CalifJim  +  512684 Mon, 12 May 08 08:53 AM There is no difference between may and might worth agonizing about.  may sounds a bit more formal to my ear.  And may cannot be used where a past tense is required in tense matching:  I knew I might be late.  Not I knew I may be late.  In other situations, both are used the same way. Use the search box and you will find an amazing number of posts on this subject. CJ  CalifJim Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004 California Veteran Member 22,389 "There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche Difference Between, Tenses, Past Tenses

	Marius Hancu  +  512729 Mon, 12 May 08 12:11 PM See this thread: May and Might or search (top right Search box), say with: user:CalifJim may might to see posts by CalifJim on this subject.   Marius Hancu Articles