English Grammar for proficiency: Modal verbs 'may'.

May is generally used to talk about a probability, permission or to introduce a polite statement.

Structure

Affirmative  (subject + may + V1)

• He may be right.

Negative (subject + may + not + V1)

• He may not be right.

Question (may + subject + V1)

• May I come in?

Usage

Probability
It is used to indicate that something is likely to happen.

• We may be late.

• It may rain in the afternoon.

• He may have missed the bus.

Permission
a) It is used to ask for or give permission.

• You may leave now.

• May I use your phone?

b) In formal language, it is used to indicate that someone is or is not allowed to do something.

• Workers may not wear jeans at work.

• Students may enter the museum for free.

Polite statement
It is used to politely say, ask, or suggest something.

• May I ask a question?

• I’d like to add something, if I may.

Although
It is used to indicate that something is true, but something else is also true.

• He may be kind, but he is wrong.

• He may be young, but he has a lot of experience

Hope/Wish
It is used to indicate a hope or wish.

• May the best man win!

• ‘Her mother passed away’. ‘May she rest in peace’.

Purpose
It is used to specify a purpose after conjunctions 'in order that' and 'so that'.

• I’ll go by car so that I may get there on time.

• We ought to prevent the war in order that we may live in peace.

Example Sentences with 'May'

• You may be right.

• That may or may not be a problem.

• They may well succeed.

• I may have to work late tonight.

• I may not be able to come on Saturday.

• He may have left while we were out.

• “May I come in?” “Yes, of course”

• “May I borrow your book?” “No, you may not.”

• You may consider your decision again.

• The project, if I may say so, was a waste of time.

• May I suggest a different idea?

• Economy is improving. Long may it continue to do so.

• We may need to change our plans due to the weather forecast.

• You may not be aware of this, but I'm allergic to peanuts.

• She may have misunderstood what you said.