Timeline for Negation with modality
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
9 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 13, 2021 at 15:57 | comment | added | Lambie | @randomhead You say "might" is much clearer and that most people would say that in conversation. English speakers when speaking understand this use of "may". So, instead of saying most of them would say might, you could add that one can also say might. | |
| Nov 13, 2021 at 15:52 | comment | added | randomhead | I am aware that you were not avoiding ambiguity. I pointed out (for OP's benefit) that if you had been you would have used "might" instead of "may," and indeed real people speaking in real conversations often do just that. | |
| Nov 13, 2021 at 15:47 | comment | added | Lambie | @randomhead I have provided two examples. I have explained them. I was not trying to avoid ambiguity. I was trying to show two different uses for may (denial of permission and possibility). Your comment re 2) is erroneous. We often use "may" for possibility; it is less strong than "might". That is the whole point. Now, please stop. Thanks. | |
| Nov 13, 2021 at 15:39 | comment | added | randomhead | ...in that case "may" is not being used as a possibility, which you said it was in the heading. | |
| Nov 13, 2021 at 15:30 | comment | added | Lambie | @randomhead No, I am not: Person 1: John may not stay with us next week. [He doesn't have permission to stay with us.] He may stay at a hotel. [He has permission to stay at a hotel]. "might not" is not a denial of permission. "You may not have tea now." "You may have it at 6 o'clock like everyone else". | |
| Nov 13, 2021 at 15:27 | comment | added | randomhead | You're talking about your last example. I was talking about the second one. | |
| Nov 13, 2021 at 15:19 | comment | added | Lambie | @randomhead "might" not is not denial of permission in 2. "may not" is. "Mary, I am telling you that you may not stay here but you may [I'm allowing it] stay in hotel. | |
| Nov 13, 2021 at 14:28 | comment | added | randomhead | It is much clearer, and I think more common, to use "John might not stay with us" in your second example. This avoids the ambiguity of "may." | |
| Sep 7, 2020 at 18:31 | history | answered | Lambie | CC BY-SA 4.0 |