Jane,
The question is how independent may and might have become from each
other. The pairs may/might, will/would, shall/should, can/could
represent historical present/past contrasts, but that meaning/form
difference goes back to Old English and is largely lost in Modern
English, although under sequence of tenses conditions it may still show
up. However, the sequence of tenses rules are a lot looser than people
tend to think, perhaps part of the question involved in Brad's survey,
and whether one follows them in a particular instance depends on other
factors than tense. But this gets to be a complex and messy subject
very quickly, and before plunging into it I want to look at a couple of
grammars.
Herb
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jane Saral
Sent: 2008-02-16 14:06
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: May and might
So I have been doing some reading on the terms epistemic and deontic,
and I understand them for the present and future, but for the past
tense, I prefer the following (found on Bartleby.com):
Kenneth G. Wilson (1923-). The Columbia Guide to Standard American
English. 1993.
may, might (auxs.)
For events in the present or immediate future, use either may or might
(I may [might] decide to go after all), but for past time, most Standard
users still prefer only might, as in Yesterday I might have decided to
stay home, not the increasingly encountered Yesterday I may have decided
to stay home. Journalese is now peppered with may where until recently
might has been solidly entrenched. See also CAN (1)
<http://www.bartleby.com/68/95/1095.html> ; COULD
<http://www.bartleby.com/68/27/1527.html> ; SEQUENCE OF TENSES
<http://www.bartleby.com/68/97/5397.html> .
Jane Saral
On Feb 16, 2008 12:54 PM, STAHLKE, HERBERT F <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Carole,
That works for me. I had overlooked the deontic/epistemic contrast in
modals. Your epistemic reading fits.
Herb
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Carole Hurlbut
Sent: 2008-02-16 11:24
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: May and might
My interpretation deals with the probability involved. May would yield a
stronger probability while might would express more doubt.
Carole Hurlbut
----- Original Message -----
From: Jane Saral <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Saturday, February 16, 2008 9:59 AM
Subject: May and might
In this morning's Atlanta Journal Costitution is the following
head and subhead:
Study: Slow decisions hurt help for Marines
Tougher truck may have saved troops
I would say that the word might should have been used, since
they were not saved. May seems to me appropriate only if they were
saved and one is speculating as to why.
Is that a correct assumption? And could someone explain the
differences between the two forms?
Jane Saral
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