May and might are two of the English modal verbs. This lesson shows you how to use these modals correctly. You can find modal verb exercises at the bottom of the page for practice.
Let’s start with the lesson.
May and Might are modal verbs that are used to show possibility. They act like the word “maybe”. This means the speaker is not sure of the outcome. Here is an example conversation with might and may.
Tom: Will you go to the party tonight?
Kathy: Maybe.
OR
Tom: Will you go to the party tonight?
Kathy: I might go to the party tonight.
Tom: Will you go to the party tonight?
Kathy: I may go to the party tonight.
May and Might are used in conditional sentences, especially the 2nd Conditional and the 3rd Conditional.
This is an example of might with the second conditional:
- If I won the lottery, I might travel. However, I don’t know for sure. I might also buy a house.
The difference between may and might is that may is more formal. So, these two examples are the same, but the second is a little more formal.
- I might eat dinner late tonight.
- I may eat dinner late tonight.
May is also used for permission. You can find out more about how to use may for permission here:
Modal Verbs for Permission Lesson
Here are some tests that use may and might:
May and Might Exercises
Modal Verbs for Possibility Exercise
Modal Verbs for Possibility Exercise 2