broken heart  +  158325 Mon, 14 Nov 05 01:30 AM Hello   why use may be + ed or may be + ing   give me example for that bye broken heart   broken heart Joined on Tue, Mar 29 2005 Junior Member 97

	Mister Micawber  +  158335 Mon, 14 Nov 05 01:46 AM For the same reasons as with other verbs, BH: He is tired. He may be tired. He can't have been tired. Study is tiring. Study may be tiring. Study can't have been tiring. He is the recipient of the effect; study is the cause. PS:  There are other uses-- He is tired = the effect is complete. He is tiring = the effect is in process. Mister Micawber Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004 Yokohama Veteran Member 30,841 'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.' Verbs

	broken heart  +  158579 Mon, 14 Nov 05 06:19 PM do you mean if I say: she may be reading a history book ( that mean she still reading and she does not finish yet) 50 % not finish yat she may be read a history book   ( how that ) may be mean 50 % to 100 % that she can not finish I hope explain that bye broken heart broken heart

	Mister Micawber  +  158644 Mon, 14 Nov 05 11:46 PM She may be reading a history book = now; as we speak or these days; in the process of reading. She may read a history book (no 'be') = sometimes; in the future; at an unspecified time (She may read a book every time she rides the bus; she may read a  book tomorrow). Percentages are not involved, Broken Heart. PS:  I like you, BH (even with the name change). Mister Micawber

	Mister Micawber  +  158704 Tue, 15 Nov 05 03:33 AM Yipes!  My mistake-- confused by my own language!  I thought we were discussing present tenses, and I thought read was pronounced /ri/ in your question.  OK, in addition to my previous post; I will start again: She may be reading a history book -- Yes, she herself is perhaps reading; as I wrote before: now; as we speak or these days; in the process of reading. She may be read a history book -- here, read is pronunced /red/ (the past participle); this is passive, and means that someone else  might read to her from a history book.  My time comment remains the same:  sometimes; in the future; at an unspecified time (She may be read a book every night by her mother; she may be read a book tomorrow by her teacher). Still, percentages are not involved, Broken Heart. And don't confuse may be (modal verb) with maybe (adverb)! Mister Micawber Verbs, Tenses, Adverbs, Present Tenses, Modals, Modal Verbs