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); COULD; SEQUENCE OF TENSES.

 

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

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: [log in to unmask]">Jane Saral

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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