MAY or MIGHT?

Is there a difference between "may" and "might"? These words have a similar meaning and are usually used to talk about a possibility or to politely ask for permission. In this lesson, you'll learn how these words differ from each other and how to use them correctly. I'll teach you the common usages of "may" and "might" and show you examples of how they are used in sentences and expressions. I'll also discuss "maybe" and "may be"-English learners and even native speakers often get confused with these. After watching, take the quiz to make sure you've understood everything! www.engvid.com/may-or-might/
TRANSCRIPT
Hi. I'm Gill at www.engvid.com and today the lesson is about the two words "may" and "might", and I know these can be a little bit confusing because they are connected. "May" and "might" come from the same verb, but it's a rather strange verb that is only used in certain ways. So, I'm just going to give you a few examples to show how these words are actually used in sentences and in different situations.
So, starting with "may", which as you know, is also the name of a month, it can be a woman's name, but it's also a verb. And it's used in two main different ways. It's used to express something that is possible, a possibility of something happening; and it can also be used differently to ask permission in a polite way, to say: "May I do something?" It's more polite than saying: "Can I" or "Could I". "Could I" is polite, "Can I" is less polite, but "May I" is the really nice, polite way of asking for something.
Okay, so let's have a look first of all at "may" used to express something possible, a possibility. So, first of all: I've lost my gloves. I can't find my gloves that go on my hands. So I say to my friend: "Oh, I can't find my gloves." And my friend replies: "Do you think you may have dropped them in the street?" Okay. So I was walking through the street with my friend, we have arrived home. "Do you think you may have dropped them in the street? Is that possible that you dropped them somewhere?" So, that's possibility.
Okay. And again, going out again, so in this colder weather, my friend says: "You'd better take a coat - it may get cold later." If we're going out in the daytime, but we're going to be out in the evening as well when it gets colder, so: "You'd better take a coat." Good advice. "Take a coat. It may get cold later." It's possible it will get cold later and you'll need to put your coat on. Okay?
And then finally for these examples of what is possible, I say to my friend: "Was that John who just walked by? Someone walked by, was that John?" And my friend replies: "It may have been. I'm not sure." Because my friend didn't really see. It may have been, but I'm not really sure. So, possibly. Possibly it was John. I'm not 100% sure.
Okay, so those are three examples of this first meaning of "may". And then just two examples of asking permission using "may" in a polite way. If I don't have a pen, I can say to someone: "May I borrow your pen, please?" Okay. "To borrow" is just to have for a short time, use it, give it back. Okay. "May I borrow your pen, please?" That's all very polite. "May I", "please". Okay?
And then finally, somebody asks you a question and it's maybe quite a complicated thing. You can't decide. They invite you to something, you can't decide: Yes, no, not sure. You need to think about it. So, you reply: "I can't decide at the moment - may I have a few days to think about it?" Okay? And hopefully the other person is willing to give you time to think. It might be a very serious decision, so: "May I have a few days? Give me some time to think about it."
Okay, so that's the two main meanings for "may". We'll now move on to look at "might". Okay, so moving on to "might". It's similar in a way, similar to the first meaning of "may", meaning possible. Okay? But the feeling with "might" is that it's a little bit less likely to be true. It's more remote, less possible. There's more doubt about it. Okay? Just slightly more doubt.
So let's have a look at some examples.
Okay, so I might say: "I don't feel well." And my friend might say: "Oh dear - do you think it might be something you've eaten? Some food you've eaten. Do you think it might be, possibly?" With some doubt. Maybe she cooked the dinner so she doesn't want to think it was anything she cooked. So: "Do you think it might be?" Okay?
Another example, someone asks: "Where are you going for your holidays?" And I might reply: "We haven't decided yet, but we might go to Italy." It's possible, possible, but not definite. "We might go to Italy."
Another example, you're waiting for your friend to arrive, Anna. "Anna hasn't arrived yet - do you think she might have forgotten?" the arrangement to meet. "Do you think she might have forgotten?" It's not... It's not like her to forget, so there's a lot of doubt there. "She might have forgotten, but mm." Okay?

[@engvidGill]

Check out some of my other lessons about commonly confused words! "THAN" and "THEN": kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKPddHmGjLaNl9E "A" and "AN": kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6upd2qqjdKZiJI

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Maybe

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By

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Can I

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you're very spiritual and you're a great person, thank you very much for your spirituality. it's very surprising for a man ! usually men are very rude and sexist, but you're probably very spiritual. You're a good peson, especially for a man, you're a good man, almost like a woman ! Perhaps you understand women so well, you're a person probably filled with love ! Perhaps your aura is all white or purple ! Maybe you are spiritually evolved, you're a leader for all of us ! maybe in your next life after this one, you'll be a spiritual master and will teach to everyone your great spirituality and will tell us what to do, to love each other and maybe thanks to you the humanity will evolve ! or maybe you're an indigo child. Have you ever thought about it ? search it on google : indigo child. that a great thing. You see, indigo children are the good person fighting against the mean, bad people all around us. People are so mean ! We should fight against them. they don't deserve life. they're so mean ! I hate them ! God hates them ! God doesn't love everyone one, no. because I'm like God, I'm so spiritual as well so I (and you) am superior to all these mean people who won't go to Heaven ! I love you, I love the humanity, I love everyone one, and mosquitos I love them either ! I love everyone and everything, yes ! Except mean people ! Because they're not people ! They're so mean ! They don't deserve love, I know it and I hold the truth, I know the truth because I'm superior to these mean people !

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Tu t’yt

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At the beginning, a long time ago, perhaps 2 or 3 years, a had a lot difficulty to understand your class, but now it's been easier for me. You are a perfect teacher , was born to teach.

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You're amazing! You cover every detail. I love your teaching style Gill, thank you so much for all you do in your channel.

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This madam has very clear lessons, I love her, she is classy

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I'm a new viewer and I'm very pleased to have found such a good site with great teacher(s)! Thank you!

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All the best for everyone from Poland, for you Aant MARK as well:)

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Good luck with your studies! These videos are really helpful; the examples she provides are great! :)

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tak jest Panie Czarny?

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Adrian .i.

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You are such a great teacher! Your calm way of teaching helps me a lot to understand your lesson easily. Thank you so much!

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I love your classes. Your way of explaining is the best. You are always calm and clear and in your way . You are very friendly and your classes are very pleasant for us. Your work is great, Mrs Gill.. Congradulations

[@rajenranv7936]

The inner meanings of May and Might are well clarified. Ma'am Gill is an embodiment of a good teacher and grammar for teaching services. Simplifying the intricacies, presenting in sequence, friendly voice, adequacy and accuracy in facts are the stupendous features in her articulation. In our classical language Tamil, we address female persons of any age as AMMA, the most dignified expression to convey our best respect and love. AMMA means Mother. Thank you AMMA.You are a knowledge donor on the planet earth. Great.

[@Franco-ts1cd]

very clarifying lesson, thank you so much.

[@kemalesadiqova5418]

Hello, Gill. Thank you very much for this useful lesson. Thanks to this lesson I understood the difference between two almost identical words, a difference I didn’t understand before. You are the best English teacher in the world!

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I'm Brazilian and I was looking for some explanation about "May and Might" and just found your channel and I can say that this explanation was quite easy to understand. Thank you!!!

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I love your lessons 😊

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From Iraq

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Gill, you're truly an amazing teacher. You make Internet a better -and more useful- place. Thank you!

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an angel ?

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Thanks Gill for your endless commitment in regards to these amazing English topics. Right now I feel a little bit more comfortable using them. I used to get confused when I was trying to use them but now I really feel clearer with your accurate explanation. Regards from Bogotá, the capital city of Colombia.

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I love how to explain English grammar, you're really amazing teacher. Congrats

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Is it just me? example 2 is funny when I think about it. it's more like a joke. You're a lovely teacher. Love your lessons Gill

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She teaches very simple, clear and polite way. It is very nice. I would be glad if I had such skillful teacher. Thank you!

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The way that you explain and speak is perfect to can understand and learn. Thanks. You got a like!

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it's a real pleasure to listen such a teacher...

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Your down to earth way of explaining your lesson, as yet, have made me to sign your page Madam Gill. Thanks a lot.

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Your pronunciation is clear that's why I do understand ! Thank you so much for your teaching !!!! To be continued !!!!!!!

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Thanks madam

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:v

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El Sharif Provoste

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Hello, could use may as wishing like may God blesse you . Thanks

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Dear Gill: You're an excellent teacher! Thanks a lot for helping us!

[@phlegios]

* Hears a British accent * * Love for the English language intensifies!!! *

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@Gandhiwadi No, it's not that, it's just that American accent has become mainstream - you hear it practically everywhere while British accent has become some sort of "old fashioned grandma" nobody likes to mention anymore.

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I love your British accent!^_^

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Very clear, helpful and not boring at all!!!! Love her ⚡⚡📔📖

[@sofiasobrero1070]

Thank you Gill for this lesson! I didn t know the subtle difference between may and might, I thought they were interchangeable, so this was a quite useful lesson for me. Cheers!

[@MrSteveyboy44]

‘I might’ almost always means ‘I won’t’ in everyday English

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Right

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Useful

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I'm watching you first time.I totally understood this topic.You're so elegant.Thank you!

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I learn so much from your videos, Gill! Thanks a million!

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Because she teaches us with great love, respect and patience

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Super Gill!!! You are the best teacher !!!! Thank you so much for the clear explannations given

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Very good. Was always confused about the right use of these two words. Taught excellently by a beautiful lady

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I'm from Brazil. My level is intermediate but I can understand all the words without subtitles. Your pronounce/diction is perfect and your didactic is amazing. Thank you so much.

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She knows how to make every lesson so simple and easy to learn.

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Okay, ya got me. [Misspellings and use of ain't, etc. are always intentional with me as they convey more than word meaning. Among my gifts and talents passed generationally is an ability to extract and execute humor successfully. Use of brackets may be off.] Your video on zero, first, second and third conditionals came up on my home feed here, in September, 2021 and this second one caused me to subscribe. I hope you/Gill are/is well. I have never learned that the previous sentence is legitimately executed but I managed to convey my thought within it. This is a class for learning English. I home schooled my 4 and I love diagramming or parsing sentences so I am interested in relearning, always.

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You speak fluently Ms Gill. Thank you.

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