4.4.

MAY
Traditional studies of modal may recognize that it can be used in two different senses, a permission/deontic sense and a possibility/epistemic sense. 4.4.1. PERMISSION MAY Consider the following examples for the permission use of may: You may leave the table when everyone has finished. May I have a quick word with you? If a sentence like You may go is uttered by someone in a position of authority to someone of lower authority, would be probably understood as a command. This explains why permission may can occur in rules and regulations. Perkins shows that the command interpretation of may is entirely due to the circumstances peculiar to the situation described. If the same person had said You may smoke, it would have been understood not as a command but as a giving of permission. All in all, the interpretation is: relative to the system of social laws, a deontic source an institution or a person in position of authority does not preclude an event to take place. When compared to can, may is regarded as more polite while might carries an indication of greater uncertainty about the answer and also of modesty, diffidence. 4.4.2. EPISTEMIC MAY In its possibility interpretation, may indicates that evidence available to the speaker is such that the sentence cannot be assumed to be true, but nor can it be assumed to be false. While possibility can focuses primarily on the current state of circumstances, may focuses primarily on the current verifiability of the truth of the sentence. A sentence like: John may run a mile in 4 minutes, but he never will because hes too lazy is unacceptable because it cites evidence that the sentence John may run a mile in 4 minutes is currently falsifiable. Notice that with epistemic can the sentence is fine, whereas with can it is irrelevant whether; John actually will run a 4 minute-mile or not, as long as circumstances are not such as to preclude it. Consider the following pair of sentences: A friend can betray you. A friend may betray you. The first one is an observation between friends in general, i.e. the circumstances include at least an instance of a friend committing a betrayal, while the second sentence is more likely to be a warning about a particular friend, i.e. the truth of the sentence can be currently verified.

May is often attended by well (as an intensifier of the possibility) to express the speakers opinion that something being the case rather than the reverse is possible: It may well be that his wife did not know. (Se prea poateSe poate foarte bine s Este foarte posibil s) 4.4.3. ABILITY / CAPABILITY MAY In this sense may is rarely mentioned by grammarians. It seems to be more frequent in passive constructions where it alternates with can: Problems which have baffled scientists for years may be solved over a luncheon. The book can be had in hard cover for 10$ and it may be had in paper back for 2$. Perkins remarks that while can relates to natural and social laws (ability and permission interpretation), may most typically relates to rational and social laws (epistemic and deontic interpretation, i.e. possibility and permission). In the same time, may in the ability interpretation carries either something of its hypothetical interpretation or of its permission interpretation, being more used in written texts while can is expected in colloquial English. According to Palmer, an important difference between ability/permission can and permission/possibility may is that the former is subject-oriented, i.e. it relates semantically to some kind of activity, quality, status of the subject of the sentence, whereas may is never subject-oriented, the state of affairs being always external to the subject of the sentence. He can speak 14 languages. (Poate/tie s) What can you contribute to the discussion? He may speak 14 languages. (S-ar putea/Ar putea) Syntactic behaviour a) negation: While cant is a case of external negation, the modal being negated: Pigs cant fly (=Its not possible that pigs fly), may not is an instance of internal negation, the sentence being negated: Pigs may not fly. (=It is possible that pigs dont fly). The forms maynt and mightnt are felt as awkward and unnatural in expressions of permission, cant and couldnt being regarded as the natural forms. b) interrogation: Epistemic/possibility can occurs mainly in interrogative and negative contexts, while in affirmative sentences may is preferred: It may rain today. Can it be cold up there? It cant be that cold.

In AE there is an apparent tendency to prefer might to may for present possibility. The effect is to make the expression of possibility more tentative, the paraphrase being: It is barely possible that It is possible, though unlikely, that c) past time reference The deontic senses have past tense counterparts with could and might, respectively, while the epistemic senses form the past time reference by the perfect infinitive forms: Its likely that he may have been there.

4.5. MIGHT
4.5.1. EPISTEMIC MIGHT The epistemic interpretation of might is by far more frequent than its deontic one. Although often regarded as a past tense form, might rarely points to the past. However, when the time sphere of the potential situation is past, it is employed regardless of whether may/might are used when the time sphere of the utterance is present: I think I may/might be late for the ceremony. He thought he might Might can also indicate a special type of unreality, namely counter-factuality. In such cases might followed by the perfect infinitive implies nonperformance of a past potential action. The perfect marker signals past time while might carries only counterfactuality: You might have turned down the invitation (but you didnt). Might + perfect infinitive may also indicate a past possibility not put to the test: Perhaps we should have taken the other road; it might have been shorter. Seldom used in the interrogative to express possibility/probability, may and might do occur in wh-questions to express wonder, doubt, uncertainty, approximation, or a more polite question: She looks so young; how old may / might she be? 4.5.2. DEONTIC MIGHT With its deontic interpretation, might carries an indication of greater uncertainty about the answer, and also of tentativeness, modesty, diffidence. The use of might for permission in the past does not seem to be very common and it is generally avoided in colloquial English and replaced by be allowed/permitted, but not in the passive: I asked him if I might go/He would allow me to go. It was an unwritten rule in their club that no questions might be asked about the members private lives. 4.5.3. ABILITY MIGHT

Might is regularly used to express tentative, doubtful (cap)ability either of the present or of the past, depending on the fulfillment of a condition expressed/understood (remember Perkinss conditionality of the secondary modals): If I had a writers pen, I might describe the beauty of this place properly.

MEANINGS AND USES OF MAY/MIGHT

I. used: permission or prohibition; request (sometimes ironical); doubt about the present, past or future; possibility, probability. Explain the meaning in which the modal MAY is

You might have tried to arrive on time. He might be still angry with you if he hasnt called on you for such a long time. She may not have known that she was supposed to attend this meeting. One may come across unusual experiences while hunting in Africa. May I advise you to be more careful with your things? If I may say so, you were rather rash. She may have heard your proposal for greater efficiency in your department. He thought he might not go, but finally had to. My friends may be right this time, but I still think its a good thing to have a talk with him. May I break into what seems to be an endless speech and give you a word of advice? May I have another helping of this delicious cake? The train might be late today on account of the heavy snow falls, or they might as well missed it altogether. She might have sent me a postcard; after all, Ive done so much for her. He asked the captain of the team if he might play that match as a midfield. Who may you be? (cf. Who are you?) He may be still living in that tiny little house, but, frankly speaking, I wish he didnt. Dont be so mad; he asked if he might wait here and I said yes. I might go out tonight if I can find someone to babysit. II. Make four sentences for each of the following uses of MAY/MIGHT: formal permission asked for or granted (cf. CAN in similar examples and give explanations to highlight the difference between the two); past/present/future possibility (cf. CAN in similar examples and give explanations); (external) ability (especially in passive constructions); counterfactuality/vs/past unrealized possibility; other speech acts (mild/casual commands, persuasive/irritated requests, expressions of reproach, offers);

in if-clauses; as part of an analytic subjunctive (for wishes, after ORDER, REQUEST, DESIRE, etc., after expressions of fear, in adverbial clauses of purpose/concession). III. Translate: Ma intreb daca isi da seama de consecinte; s-ar putea sa fie constient de responsabilitatea pe care si-a asumat-o, desi, sincer sa fiu, nu pare. Poti sa-ti iei adio de la vacanta pe care ti-am promis-o, atat timp cat nu te-ai achitat de partea ta de intelegere. Copiii sub saisprezece ani nu pot participa la curse de masini atat de periculoase. Ai fi putut sa-i anunti ca plecati ca sa nu faca tot drumul acela numai ca sa gaseasca usa incuiata. Sa traiesti fericit o mie de ani si sa ai parte de bucurii si sa stii sa-ti sarbatoresti neimplinirile. Pot sa plec acum, sefu? Da, cred ca poti. Sa punem punct aici, dar maine s-ar putea sa am nevoie de tine dimineata, desi nu cred ca delegatia pe care o asteptam va veni atat de devreme. Am fi putut sa ne hotaram asupra variantei celeilalte, dar atunci s-ar fi complicat lucrurile si e posibil sa nu mai fi fost in stare sa terminam la timp. Multumesc ca nu mi-ai spus ca nu mergi la petrecere; pot, la fel de bine sa ma duc singura ca si cum n-as avea partener. Dupa cate vad s-ar putea sa amanam iesirea la iarba verde; cerul e acoperit de nori si s-ar putea sa inceapa ploaia in orice moment. Imprumutul acesta se poate obtine daca ai garantii serioase. Jocul se poate juca doar daca ii cunosti regulile si le respecti; altfel, s-ar putea sa nu-ti gasesti nici un partener dispus sa-l joace cu tine. Daca ti-ai lua diploma anul acesta, ai putea sa-ti gasesti un loc de munca care sa-ti satisfaca asteptarile. Toata lumea ocolea subiectul de teama sa nu-i trezeasca amintiri dureroase; ar fi putut sa se inchida din nou in sine, asa cum se mai intamplase, si nimic si nimeni n-ar mai fi deschis-o spre comunicarea cu ceilalti. Dupa cat il cunosc, s-ar putea sa mai studieze inca, inchis in birou, dosarele acelea care i-au dat atata bataie de cap. Desi nu era foarte entuziasmat de idee, tatal sau il trimisese in Italia sa studieze pictura renascentista. Oricat ar costa, si oricate argumente mi-ar aduce el, insist sa ne petrecem vacanta in strainatate pentru ca, asa cum s-ar putea sa stii deja, serviciile oferite sunt mult mai bune si preturile mai rezonabile. Ii puteai simti din tonul vocii ingrijorarea cu privire la soarta proiectului cu care se inscrisese pentru obtinerea unei burse; fie ceo fi, el incercase si nimeni nu-i putea reprosa lipsa de interes. Dupa atatia ani petrecuti pe mare, inca auzea zgomotul inconfundabil al valurilor, oricat de preocupat de altceva ar fi fost.