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Want to discuss about a past scenario. All these pharses are coming to my mind. Can you point out me which one is grammatically correct and what is the best way to say that. (Trying to mentioned about a possibility that happened earlier)

  1. May be they have gathered y’day
  2. They might have gathered y’day
  3. May be they have had gathered y’day (sounds weirder for my self)

TIA

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    Maybe meaning perhaps is one word.
    – Kate Bunting
    Mar 10, 2022 at 12:37
  • Alternatively, include a "dummy subject", as It may be [that] they have [done something incomprehensible].
    – FumbleFingers
    Mar 10, 2022 at 14:44
  • Why would anyone be so ill-willed as to downvote a question like this. The OP is trying to learn English, simply because it is not their first language. What is so wrong with that?
    – WS2
    Sep 15, 2022 at 16:17
  • @KateBunting Except where it is conjugated as in "It may be that they gathered yesterday".
    – WS2
    Sep 15, 2022 at 16:20

2 Answers 2

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'May' and 'might' are used to talk about possible actions and happenings. They are used for the present and the future. Might is less definite.

For the past we use may have + past participle or might have + past participle

They may have gathered...

They might have gathered...

(It may be that they have gathered...)

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Maybe (=perhaps) they have gathered y’day

This is simply wrong. You cannot use the present perfect with a fixed time. You can only use it with a duration.

Maybe (=perhaps) they gathered y’day.

That is fine.

They might have gathered y’day

This is possible as the "have gathered" is an infinitive and not an active verb.

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