174. It may also mean a possible action or possession. You may come with us, for example, might mean that some time in the future it is possible that you will come with us. He may have the money, might mean either He is given permission to have the money, or It is possible that he has it.
May, used with many verb forms, means it is possible. For example: He may be hungry, He may have starved. He may have been starving; that is, it is possible that he is hungry; that he has starved; that he was starving.
175. Might is the past form of may and expresses past permission to do or to be and also possibility in the past. For example: The officer said he might go. That is, he gave him permission to go. You might have helped your comrades; that is, you had the power to have helped.
Might is also used to express permission or the power to do in the present and future, on condition. For example:
- He might find work if he were trained.
- The workers might destroy this insane system if they would.
Exercise 3
Study carefully the following sentences. Write in the blank space preceding each sentence the number of the paragraph in the lesson which governs the use of the helping verbs may or might in that sentence.
- ...... The solidarity of the workers might have averted this war.
- ......"Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
- The saddest are these—'it might have been.'"
- ...... You might join us.
- ...... The people struggle that they may live.
- ...... Try; you might succeed.
- ...... The day may come when this day's deeds shall be remembered.
- ...... Victory might be ours if we dared to face the issue.
- ......"Men may come and men may go;
- But I go on forever."
- ...... It seemed possible that we might win.
- ...... May we ever be loyal and true!
- ...... It appeared for a time that we might be involved in war.
- ...... Let come what may, we will not yield.
CAN AND COULD
176. Can is the present-time form and could the past-time form, and both imply ability or power to do or to be.