May or Might – Modals summary Practice Tests with A2 Grammar Rules & Examples

May or Might: Modals Summary

In English, we use special verbs called modal verbs to talk about possibility, permission, and other ideas. Two very common modal verbs are may and might. In this lesson, we will learn what may and might mean, how to use them, and how they are different from each other.

A modal verb is a helper verb. It comes before the main verb and changes its meaning. Here are two simple examples:

"It may rain today." (= Perhaps it will rain.)
"She might be at home." (= Perhaps she is at home.)

Both sentences talk about something that is possible — we are not sure, but it could happen. Let us look at the rules step by step.

What Are May and Might?

Before we look at the rules, let us understand a simple situation.

Tom looks at the sky. The sky is grey. He says: "It may rain." Later, his friend says: "Yes, it might rain. Take an umbrella!"

Tom and his friend are not certain about the rain. They think it is possible. That is why they use may and might.

Here are the key things to know about may and might:

• They are modal verbs.
• They do not change form. We do not add -s, -ed, or -ing.
• The main verb after them is always in its base form (the simple, dictionary form — e.g. go, be, eat, rain).
• We do not use to between the modal and the main verb.

Rule Breakdown: How to Form Sentences with May and Might

Positive Sentences (Affirmative)

The pattern is simple:

Subject + may / might + base verb

Examples:

• I may go to the park later.
• She might be tired.
• They may eat dinner at 7 o'clock.
• It might snow tonight.
• He may know the answer.

Notice: The verb after may or might does not change — it is always the base form. We say "She might be", not "She might is".

Negative Sentences

To make a negative sentence, we add not after may or might:

Subject + may not / might not + base verb

Examples:

• I may not come to the party.
• She might not be at school today.
• They may not have enough money.
• It might not rain after all.

We can also use the contraction mightn't for might not. However, there is no common contraction for may not. We do not usually say "mayn't" in modern English.

Questions with May and Might

To make a question, we put may or might before the subject:

May / Might + subject + base verb?

Examples:

• May I use your phone? (= Is it okay if I use your phone?)
• Might she be at the office?
• May we sit here?

Note: In everyday questions about possibility, we more often use might or other structures. We mostly use "May I...?" to ask for permission (asking if something is allowed).

The Main Uses of May and Might

Use 1: Possibility (Maybe Something Will Happen)

We use may and might to say that something is possible. We are not sure. It could happen or it might not happen.

• I may visit my grandmother this weekend. (= Perhaps I will visit her.)
• He might be late for the meeting. (= Perhaps he will be late.)
• We may move to a new house next year.
• They might not like the food.

Use 2: Permission (Asking If Something Is Allowed) — May

We also use may (not usually might) to ask for permission in a polite way. This means we are asking if we are allowed to do something.

• May I open the window? (= Is it okay if I open the window?)
• May I leave the room?
• May we take a photo here?

A teacher can also use may to give or refuse permission:

• "Yes, you may leave early today." (= Yes, you are allowed.)
• "No, you may not use your phone in class." (= No, it is not allowed.)

May or Might: What Is the Difference?

Many learners ask: "Are may and might the same? Can I always use one instead of the other?"

For A2 level, the answer is: they are very similar when we talk about possibility. However, there are some small differences to know:

Point	May	Might
Possibility	Yes — something is possible	Yes — something is possible
How certain?	A little more certain (but still not sure)	A little less certain (even more unsure)
Permission	Yes — "May I...?" is polite	Rarely used for permission
Formality	Slightly more formal	Slightly less formal / more everyday
Negative	may not (no common contraction)	might not / mightn't

Simple tip: In most everyday conversations about possibility, you can use may or might and the meaning is almost the same. Just remember to use may when asking for permission.

Full Sentence Pattern Table

Subject	May / Might	Base Verb	Example Sentence
I	may	go	I may go to the cinema tonight.
You	might	need	You might need a jacket.
He	may	be	He may be at work.
She	might	know	She might know the answer.
It	may	rain	It may rain this afternoon.
We	might	eat	We might eat at the restaurant.
They	may	arrive	They may arrive late.
I	may not	come	I may not come to the party.
He	might not	be	He might not be happy about it.

May and Might: Quick Rules to Remember

Here is a short summary of the main rules:

• May and might do not change for different subjects. (No -s, no -ed, no -ing)
• Always use the base form of the main verb after may or might.
• Do not use to after may or might.
• Use may not or might not for negatives.
• Use "May I...?" to ask for permission politely.
• Both may and might express possibility — something that is not sure.

Modals Summary: Other Common Modal Verbs

In English, there are several modal verbs. Here is a short summary so you can see how may and might fit with the others you may already know:

Modal Verb	Main Use	Example
can	Ability / Permission	I can swim. / Can I sit here?
could	Past ability / Polite requests / Possibility	She could run fast when she was young. / Could you help me?
must	Obligation / Strong necessity	You must wear a seatbelt.
should	Advice / Recommendation	You should drink more water.
will	Future / Decisions	I will call you later.
would	Polite requests / Conditionals	Would you like some tea?
may	Possibility / Permission	It may snow. / May I come in?
might	Possibility (less certain)	She might be busy.

Remember: All modal verbs follow the same basic rule — they come before the main verb, and the main verb stays in the base form.

Important Differences and Special Cases

May vs. Can for Permission

In everyday English, many people use can to ask for permission:

"Can I use your pen?"

This is very common and perfectly fine in conversation. However, may is more formal and more polite:

"May I use your pen?"

Both are correct. Use may when you want to sound more polite or formal — for example, in a classroom, a shop, or with people you do not know well.

Might vs. Could for Possibility

We can also use could to talk about possibility:

• It might rain. = It could rain. (Both mean: perhaps it will rain.)
• She might be at home. = She could be at home.

At A2 level, these are almost the same. Just remember they are all about possibility — something is not certain.

May Not vs. Must Not

Be careful! May not and must not have very different meanings:

• May not = perhaps not / possibly not (possibility)
  "She may not be at home." = Perhaps she is not at home.
• Must not = it is not allowed / forbidden (obligation)
  "You must not smoke here." = Smoking is forbidden here.

Common Mistakes

Here are some common mistakes that learners make with may and might:

❌ She might is tired.
✅ She might be tired. (Always use the base form after a modal verb.)

❌ He mights come later.
✅ He might come later. (Modal verbs never take -s, even with he/she/it.)

❌ They may to go to the party.
✅ They may go to the party. (Do not use "to" after a modal verb.)

❌ I might not to know the answer.
✅ I might not know the answer. (No "to" after a modal verb.)

❌ May she is at home?
✅ Might she be at home? (Use the base form, not the conjugated form.)

❌ He may not come — it is forbidden.
✅ He must not come — it is forbidden. ("May not" is for possibility, not rules.)

Contractions with May and Might

A contraction is when we join two words together and use an apostrophe ( ' ) to show letters are missing.

• might not → mightn't (common in spoken English)
  "She mightn't be at home."
• may not — there is no common contraction. We do not usually write or say "mayn't" in modern English. Always write may not as two separate words.

May or Might: Quick Summary

Here are the key points from this lesson on may and might:

• May and might are modal verbs.
• We use them to talk about possibility — something that is not certain.
• We use may (not usually might) to ask for permission politely.
• The main verb after may or might is always the base form.
• Never add -s, -ed, or -ing to may or might.
• Never use to between the modal verb and the main verb.
• Negative forms: may not and might not (or mightn't).
• May is slightly more formal and certain; might is slightly less certain — but for everyday use, they are very similar.
• Do not confuse may not (possibility) with must not (something is forbidden).

Now practise may and might in the exercises below.