Complete English Grammar Rules_ Examples, Exceptions, Exercises, and Everything You Need to Master Proper Grammar ( PDFDrive )-200

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b)	“Can’t	we	come	with	you	to	the	movie	later?”
c)	“May	I	not	stay	up	a	little	later	tonight?”
d)	“Mayn’t	we	watch	some	TV	before	starting	our	homework?”
	
4.	Identify	the	function	of	may	in	the	following	sentence:
“May	I	state	for	the	record,	I’ve	always	supported	the	governor’s	decisions.”
a)	To	express	permission
b)	To	make	a	polite	offer
c)	To	express	possibility
d)	As	a	rhetorical	device
Modal	Auxiliary	Verbs	-	Might
Definition
The	modal	verb	might	is	most	often	used	to	express	an	unlikely	or	uncertain
possibility.	Might	is	also	used	to	very	formally	or	politely	ask	for	permission,
and	it	is	used	as	the	past-tense	form	of	may	when	asking	permission	in	reported
speech.	It	can	also	be	used	to	suggest	an	action,	or	to	introduce	two	differing
possibilities.
Expressing	possibility
When	we	use	might	to	indicate	possibility,	it	implies	a	very	weak	certainty	or
likelihood	that	something	will	happen,	occur,	or	be	the	case.	For	instance:
•	“I’m	hoping	that	she	might	call	me	later.”
•	“We	might	go	to	a	party	later,	if	you	want	to	come.”
•	“You	should	pack	an	umbrella—it	looks	like	it	might	rain.”
•	“There	might	be	some	dinner	left	over	for	you	in	the	fridge.”
In	conditional	sentences
We	also	often	use	might	to	express	a	possibility	as	a	hypothetical	outcome	in	a
conditional	sentence.	For	example:
•	“If	we	don’t	arrive	early	enough,	we	might	not	be	able	to	get	in	to	the	show.”
•	“We	still	might	make	our	flight	if	we	leave	right	now!”