Monday 19 April 2010

Usage: Modals Anatomy -- Part 4 (May & Might)

Grammar time again! This time, we will move on to another pair of modal verbs, May & Might.


Before we start, let's bear in mind that the use of Might is more polite and more formal, as we have discussed in previous entries on distancing.


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May and Might are very similar to each other as they both suggest the chances that something will happen, or is happening. Might is used when the situation is less certain and less possible:

Expressing possibilities:
  1. We may go camping this Sunday.
  2. She might go Egypt this summer, but it all depends on her cash.
  3. She may not be at home.
  4. He might not be with her. 


Asking for permission:
  1. May I watch TV now?
  2. Might I be allowed to meet your daughter? (More formal)
  3. I wonder if I might be allowed to meet your daughter. (More formal, indirect use)



Giving and refusing permission: (May only)
  1. A: May I watch TV now?             B: No, you may not.
  2. You may not go into the conference room without a smart card.
  3. You may leave now.



Express wishes and hopes: (May only)
  1. May you and your family live happily ever after!
  2. May he rest in peace. (Prayer for a dead person)
  3. Let's hope that the orphans may receive love from their new families!



Talk about something definitely true (may / might ...but):

  1. You may be smarter than me, but I work 10 times harder than you.
  2. The cat might look cute now, but she won't be so cute when she starts making scratches on your deluxe sofa.





Modal Perfect:

He may / might have done
He may not / might not have done


Possibilities in the past:
  1. Sam called, he said he is still on his way. He didn't say what happened. I guess he might have got caught up in something.

  1. If she hadn't been wasting all her time trying to find her 200% Mr Right, she might have got married ages ago.

Homework:
Try to explain the meanings of the following sentences in details, you can make your predictions as you wish:
(Leave comments for me to check)



  1. Jane: Look! That's him! Isn't he handsome? I kinda like him.       Peter: He might be stupid.
  2. Jane: May I slap you in the face?                Peter: No, you may not. What's so good about him?
  3. Jane: He might become the next best Japanese pop singer!
  4. Peter: He might? I thought you have ALWAYS worshipped certainties.
  5. Jane: What? I can't fancy a guy who is cute and talented?!      Peter: You may......
  6. Jane: Then?       Peter: I'm just, you know, he may be cute now, but not in another 5 years.
  7. Jane: What may your reason be now, grumpy?            
  8. Peter: Well, his face looks real stiff to me, he might have injected a litre of two of those Botox things into his face, so his face will turn into Ironman's mask in 5 years.
  9. Jane: You are just jealous!!!



Resources:
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2010/03/usage-modals-anatomy-part-3-shall.html
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2009/11/usage-polite-or-impolite-past-vs.html
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2009/11/usage-polite-or-impolite-past-vs_11.html
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2009/11/usage-polite-or-impolite-past-vs_13.html

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/catch_10#catch_10__3

Practical English Usage Third Ed. -- Michael Swan
Posted by at 17:06 Labels: , ,

7 comments:

  1. Anonymous20 April 2010 at 01:25

    Hi Locky,

    Yeah! I'm the first one this time. Although I can't elaborate the answers completely. Hope you don't mind.

    1. Jane likes that handsome guy. Peter does not like him, so he thinks that the guy may have some weakness (e.g. Stupid).
    2. Jane wants to slap Peter in the face to express her dissatisfied. Peter rejected as he thinks that he did not say anything wrongly.
    3. Jane expresses the possibility that the guy would become the next best Japanese pop singer.
    4. Peter does not agree on it.
    5. (No idea)
    6. Peter thinks that the guy would not be cute in another 5 years.
    7. Jane asked Peter to explain his saying.
    8. Peter thinks that the guy has the possibility to inject Botox things at the past.
    9. Jane does not think so.

    I did try my very best...look forward to having your comments!

    C

    ReplyDelete
  2. Celia20 April 2010 at 23:32

    let me have a try although it's hard to explain @.@

    1.)Jane sees a singer and thinks he is handsome. she quite likes him but Peter thinks he might be stupid.
    he uses "might" because he dont know this singer so he cant sure whether he is really stupid or not, this is just his feeling to him. [Expressing possibilities but less certain]

    2.)Jane doesnt like Peter said that, so she is asking for Peter's permission to slap his face to show her feeling.
    and of coz, Pater refuses her request, and asks the reason of her fevering of this singer.
    [Asking for permission & Refusing permission]

    3.)Jane explains that the singer might have the possibility to become the next best japanese pop singer, but she is uncertain.
    [Expressing possibilities but less certain]

    4.)Peter teases Jane's uncertainty as she shows she is fevering to him.
    [Expressing possibilities but less certain]

    5.Jane sounds angry so Peter uses "may" to show that gives permission to Jane to fancy this singer.
    [Giving permission]

    6.)Because of Jane's anger, Peter agrees the singer is cute now, but still doesnt agree in another 5 years.
    [Talk about something definitely true]

    7.)Jane is still in anger (coz she called him grumpy) and asks Peter the reason of disagree.
    [Expressing possibilities]

    8.)Peter uses "might" again coz he do not know whether this singer has injected botox or not.
    [Expressing possibilities but less certain]

    9.)Jane doesnt agree Peter's opinion and thinks he is just jealous of that singer's handsome look and talent.

    Celia

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous25 April 2010 at 00:32

    Hi! Locky,

    Please comment my answers as follows:

    1) Peter doesn't agree to Jane's commend about the singer and tries to find some excuse to challenge her. He even said that the singer might be stupid as he is uncertain and expresses the possibility is low.

    2) I think it doesn't make sense if we ask a permission to hit someone. I rather guess that Jane may express a possibility to slap Peter in the face if he still says something bad to her idol. Peter, of course answered back and refused her to do so.

    3) Jane expresses that her idol is not totally impossible to get the next best Japanese pop singer although she thinks that the possibility is low.

    4) Peter challenges Jane as she thinks her idol is so good, why she still expressed that he didn't 100% become the coming best pop singer but only "might become" (low possiblility).

    5) Peter compromises as Jane is being angry. He said that Jane could express her wishes and hopes to her idol.

    6) Peter expresses that it is definitely true for the singer should not be cute in another 5 years.

    7) Jane asks Peter to tell her the reason of the possibility for the singer could not be cute in another 5 years.

    8)Peter wants to express the fact that the singer had the possibility in past injected Botox as his face looks stiff now.

    9) Jane,of course disagrees with Peter's view about her idol as she thinks he is only jealous of the singer.


    Best regards,
    Mei

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous26 April 2010 at 00:24

    Hi Locky,

    Please comment.
    1. Jane like a singer and think he is handsome. Peter dislike what Jane said. For expressing his feeling. Peter said the singer might be stupid although Peter think it's less possible.

    2. Jane is unhappy what Peter said so asking Peter's permission for slaping his face. Peter rejected and asked Jane what's good about the singer.

    3. Jane answered that the singer might become the next best Janpanese pop singer although it's less certain.

    4. Peter jested Jane's less cetainty coz Jane like the singer so much.

    5. Jane seems unhappy to Peter's reaction so Peter give his permission to show Jane can fancy the singer but seems unwilling to give his permission.

    6. Jane want Peter expain more. Peter admits the singer is handsome but not in another 5 years.

    7. Jane asked Peter the possibe reasons with impolite manner.

    8. Peter is highly unsure the singer injected the Botox into his face or not.

    9. Jane completely disagree with Peter as she think Peter're just jealous.

    Thank you.
    Sharon

    ReplyDelete
  5. Locky10 May 2010 at 18:40

    Okay, time to check answers:

    Keys: E --> Elaboration needed
    X --> Wrong answer
    ? --> unsure

    C 1 , 2E, 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7E, 8 , 9
    Celia 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9
    Mei 1 , 2X, 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9
    Sharon 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6E, 7 , 8 , 9


    Question 1:
    No problem at all, well done! Possibililty is low or unsure.

    Question 2:
    C, you understand the meaning well, but forgot to mention the meaning of the modal verbs. Mei, it is asking for permission, but with a somehow annoyed tone.

    Question 3:
    This is easy. Possibililty is low.

    Question 4:
    Basically same as 3, possibililty is low.

    Question 5:
    C, oops. All the rest of you girls did well. It is giving permission.

    Question 6:
    C, sorry. Sharon, need to say that it is definitely true that the singer is handsome.

    Question 7:
    C, what does the modal verb mean? I like Mei and Sharon's answer for this one.

    Question 8:
    Well done! Possibility is low, unsure, but he made that claim anyway.

    Question 9:
    No modal verb here, so nothing much to explain really. But of course, Jane doesn't agree.

    Full mark for Celia today! Well done!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous11 May 2010 at 23:15

    Hi Locky,

    Thank you for your teaching!

    Sharon

    ReplyDelete
  7. Celia14 May 2010 at 23:39

    kaka. Celia :)

    ReplyDelete

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