Jane,

That sounds like one you might want to post on the American Dialect Society list ADS-L.  They follow closely ongoing changes in American English.  I don't know if this use of "may" is a mistake or a change in progress.  I certainly react to it as you did.

Herb


-----Original Message-----
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar on behalf of Jane Saral
Sent: Sat 2/16/2008 10:59 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
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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