E.g. You may smoke in here. May I smoke in here? You may not smoke in here.

In this meaning may is combined only with the simple infinitive. In interrogative sentences the form might is also found when we wish to express a more polite request.

E.g. May I join you?

In reported speech the form might is used.

E.g. He told me that I might smoke in the room He asked me if he might join us.

disapproval or reproach

E.g. You might carry the parcel for me. You might have helped me.

Here we find only the form might used in affirmative sentences and followed by the simple of Perfect infinitive. In the latter case it expressed reproach for the nonperformance of an action.

The form might which expresses unreality is not always parallel to may. Might expresses unreality only in combination with the Perfect infinitive.

E.g. You might have let me know about it beforehand.

There was a car accident in front of our house. Luckily Tommy was at school. He might have been killed.

In most cases might is used as a milder and more polite form than may of as a form implying a greater degree of uncertainty:

permission - May I call to my mother now? Might I call to my mother now? (very polite)

Might I take the liberty of pointing out that you have made a small mistake? (J. Joyce)

supposition - He may come a little later. He might come a little later (less certain).

The Chancellor's measures might help towards an agreement on an incomes policy. (Moscow News).

The two forms are not opposed in the meaning of possibility due to circumstances where only may is used, nor in the meaning of disapproval of reproach where might alone is found.

E.g. You may find the book at the library.

You might have considered your parents' feelings.

May as well (might as well, might just as well) + infinitive is a very mild and an emphatic way of expressing an intention. It is also used to suggest of recommend an action.

E.g. I may as well take the child with me. (Я, пожалуй, возьму ребенка с собой. Пожалуй, будет лучше, если я возьму ребенка с собой).

You may as well give him the letter. I might as well stay at home tonight.

“I'll go at six.” “That's far too late; you might just as well not go at all.” (Можно было бы и не ходить туда совсем).

It might have been worse means “Things are not so bad after all.” In Russian it is rendered as: Могло бы быть и хуже or в конце концов дела обстоят не так уж и плохо).

He might have been a … means `He might have been taken for a …' `He looked as a …'

E.g. Roy Wilson, the new doctor, was twenty-eight, large, heavy, mature and blond. He might have been a Scandinavian sailor.

If I may say so … has become a stereotyped phrase in which the meaning of permission is considerably weakened.

E.g. If I may say so, I think you have treated him very badly.

In addition to the above cases illustrating the independent use of may, this modal verb occurs in subordinate object clauses after expressions of fear as well as in adverbial clauses of purpose and concession.

Here are some more examples from the works of the English and American literature:

E.g. Try as she might, her poor head just wouldn't let her think what it was she should rightly remember.(O. Wilde)

You certainly won't. You may freeze your nose, but you won't be shivery cold. It's hard and dry, you know. (F. Scott Fitzgerald)

We can compare May and Can

The use of can and may is parallel only in two meanings: possibility due to circumstances and permission. In these meanings, however, they are not always interchangeable for a number of various reasons.

Thus in the meaning of possibility due to circumstances the use of may is restricted only to affirmative sentences, whereas can is found in all kinds of sentences.

Can - He can find this book at the library. Can he find this book at the library? He cannot find this book at the library.

May - He may find this book at the library.

Their time reference is also different. May refers only to the present or future: the form might is used in past-time contexts only in reported speech. Can (could) may refer to the present, pastor future.

May - He may find the book at the library. I said that he might find the book at the library.

Can - He can find the book at the library. He could find the book at the library yesterday. He can find the book at the library tomorrow.

Both could and might combined with the Perfect infinitive indicate that the action was not carried out in the past.

E.g. He might have found the book at the library.

He could have found the book at the library.

It follows from the above that the sphere of application of can in this meaning is wider than that of may.

When may and can express permission the difference between them is rather that of style than of meaning - may is more formal than can which is characteristic of colloquial English.

E.g. May (might) I speak to you for a moment, professor?

Can (could) I have a cup of tea, mother?

May in negative sentences expressing prohibition is uncommon.

Must

The modal verb must has only one form it is used in present-time contexts with reference to the present of future and in combination with the Perfect infinitive it refers to the past. In past-time contexts this form is used only in reported speech, i.g. the rules of the sequence of tenses are not observed with must.

Must has the following meanings:

obligation (from the speaker's point of view)

E.g. Any real body must have extension in four directions: it must have Length, Breadth, Thickness, and - Duration.

In different contexts must may acquire additional shades of meaning, such as duty or necessity.

In this meaning must is found in affirmative and interrogative sentences and followed only by the simple infinitive.

Prohibition

E.g. He must not leave his room for a while. (Он не должен (ему нельзя) выходить из комнаты некоторое время).

This meaning is expressed in negative sentences and must is also followed by the simple infinitive.

emphatic advice

E.g. You must come and see us when you're in London.

You must stop worrying about your son.

You mustn't give another thought to what he said.

You mustn't miss the film. It is very interesting.

You must have your hair cut.

It is much too long. You mustn't cry.

“Andy” - she spoke in a quick, low voice - “of course you must never tell anybody what I told you about Canby yesterday.” (F. Scott Fitzgerald)

This meaning is found in affirmative and negative sentences and is closely connected with the two above mentioned meanings.

supposition implying strong probability

E.g. Watson, we must look upon you as a man of letters.

It must be late as the streets are deserted.

Must in this meaning is found only in affirmative sentences. In Russian this meaning is generally rendered by means of the attitudinal adverbs вероятно, должно быть.

In English this meaning may also be expressed by means of the attitudinal adverb probably.

In this meaning must may be followed by different forms of the infinitive. If reference is made to the present, the Continuous infinitive is used with dynamic verbs.

E.g. The book is not on the shelf. Jane must be reading it. Let's have something to eat. You must be starving.

If must is followed by the simple infinitive of dynamic verbs, it expresses obligation.

E.g. Jane must read the book. You must stay here.

However, with stative verbs the simple infinitive is used to express supposition.

E.g. He must be over fifty.

He must know all about it as he has read a lot on the subject.

“He must be a Southerner, judging by those trousers,” suggested Harry mischievously. (F. Scott Fitzgerald)

Must in combination with the Perfect Infinitive refers the action to the past.

E.g. You must have examined the house very carefully, to find a single pellet of paper.

It must have been his first taste of peace for years.(A. Marshall)

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