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Are both of these sentences correct to say:

  • I can give it to you in case you may need it later.
  • I can give it to you in case you may need it in future.


If so is there any difference between these two?

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Although I don't think it is exactly wrong to say "in future", the phrase people usually use (at least in US English -- not sure about other places) is, "in the future".

Except for that, both sentences are correct. In my own opinion, they both would sound a little more idiomatic and natural if the word "may" were omitted:

I can give it to you in case you need it later.

I can give it to you in case you need it in the future.

But that is probably just a matter of personal preference.

Both sentences have very similar meanings, but the use of "in the future", in the second sentence, implies a fairly distant future. "In the future" would probably not be used to describe tomorrow or later today. That phrase would usually indicate a time at least a few months away, and maybe even years later.

On the other hand, your first sentence, with "later", could be used for just about any time frame.

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'in future' is just wrong. 'In the future' is possible. But even with that correction, the meanings are not exactly similar.

If you give someone an umbrella when the sun is shining but when you have seen the weather forecast then you might well say 'I can give it to you in case you may need it later'. But if you used the second formulation that would sound odd because 'in the future' suggests some time quite distant from now.

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