Exact Difference between "May" and "Might&quo

What is the exact difference between "may" and "Might"
I heard that may is mostly used for present and future tenses whereas Might is used for past tenses

"May" is the fifth month of the year, while "might" means "physical strenght".

lol thats cool. I was like thinking like all this crazy stuff like may do, might do are the same and all.

You may understand the difference between them but you might not.

Traditionally, "may" is present subjunctive and "might" is past subjunctive. So if you're talking about possibilities in the present or the future, traditionally you use "may". ("This may happen," "That may be true.") If you're talking about possibilities in the past, then you use "might". ("That might have happened [but it didn't]," "He might have succeeded [but he didn't].")

So compare things like:

We may have lost the election. (In other words, we're still not sure whether we've lost it or not.)

If we hadn't done that, we might have lost the election. (But we didn't lose.)

But in modern English, this distinction is often ignored, with people using "might" in all contexts. I still observe the distinction sometimes, but not all the time.

I am surprized to say that native speakers cant tell the difference between these two words. Both "may" and "might" can be used for describing the possibilities in the future. Understand the difference this way: If you are 90-100% sure about that something will happen, then use "may" and if you are sure less than that percentage area, use "might".

<<I am surprized to say that native speakers cant tell the difference between these two words.>>

Was that directed at me?

<<Understand the difference this way: If you are 90-100% sure about that something will happen, then use "may" and if you are sure less than that percentage area, use "might".>>

Nonsense; you just made that up. I explained the traditional usage (present subjunctive versus imperfect subjunctive), and I explained that in modern vernacular usage it's possible to use "might" in all contexts. Percentage area, perschmentage area.

My American teacher taught me this difference. I did not make that up. I dont need to add extra garbage into something that is already quite garbage in terms of usage/structures.

1. We may not be able to talk today as my telephone line is dead.
2. We might not be able to talk today as my telephone line is dead.

These two sentences are not same in meaning. There is a subtle difference.
In first example, the sentence is implying that there is no chance of having a talk. Absolutely none. I cant get my telephone line fixed today.
May is strong and suggesting that something is confirmed.

In second example, the sentence is implying that there is a slight chance of having a talk -- There is a chance that I can get fixed my telephone line in time.

Might is less strong and suggesting that something is not completely confirmed.

<<My American teacher taught me this difference.>>

Okay, then your teacher made it up.

<<I dont need to add extra garbage into something that is already quite garbage in terms of usage/structures.>>

You (or more accurately, your teacher) are the one who's adding unnecessary garbage. This rule of "percentage areas" is complete nonsense.

<<These two sentences are not same in meaning.>>

No, they are exactly the same in meaning. If you are certain that you will not be able to talk, then you would use the simple future: "We won't be able to talk today as my telephone line is dead." If you are uncertain, then you can use either "may" or "might". That's it - no additional rules necessary.

Then, we dont need an extra word for creating more confusion. Purge any one of those words: "May" or "might".


<<<If you are uncertain, then you can use either "may" or "might". That's it - no additional rules necessary. >>>

<<Then, we dont need an extra word for creating more confusion. Purge any one of those words: "May" or "might".>>

I don't advocate language reform, and I would be strongly opposed to any attempt to "purge" either word. Feel free to use either "may" or "might" indiscriminately in the above context; it's really not so hard to remember.

I was taught as a kid that 'may' should really only be used when talking about whether you are allowed to do something i.e. 'I may see him tonight' strictly speaking should mean 'I am allowed to see him tonight', although it is not often used like this, but rather to mean there is a possibility I will see him tonight. I thought all the examples mentioned above talking about whether or not something is likely to happen should really use 'might'.

<<I was taught as a kid that 'may' should really only be used when talking about whether you are allowed to do something i.e. 'I may see him tonight' strictly speaking should mean 'I am allowed to see him tonight', although it is not often used like this, but rather to mean there is a possibility I will see him tonight. I thought all the examples mentioned above talking about whether or not something is likely to happen should really use 'might'.>>

This is more accurate than the 'percentage zones' explanation given above. Using 'may' for permission and 'might' for possibility is the standard prescriptivist explanation, but I don't think anyone (in North America at least) natively makes this distinction anymore. As Lazar said, you can use either 'may' or 'might' in most situations.

<<Traditionally, "may" is present subjunctive and "might" is past subjunctive. So if you're talking about possibilities in the present or the future, traditionally you use "may". ("This may happen," "That may be true.") If you're talking about possibilities in the past, then you use "might". ("That might have happened [but it didn't]," "He might have succeeded [but he didn't].")>>

<<But in modern English, this distinction is often ignored, with people using "might" in all contexts. I still observe the distinction sometimes, but not all the time.>>

I completely agree with Lazar there.

<<Okay, then your teacher made it up.>>

He didn't necessarily make it up. Some do make this difference, assuming that "may" is stronger than "might". However, most people don't even think there is a difference at all or they just simply ignore it, like myself.

>>This is more accurate than the 'percentage zones' explanation given above. Using 'may' for permission and 'might' for possibility is the standard prescriptivist explanation, but I don't think anyone (in North America at least) natively makes this distinction anymore. As Lazar said, you can use either 'may' or 'might' in most situation<<

Josh

I think the usage is much the same in the UK and US. Still, since according to the prescriptivist view 'may' and 'might' have totally different meanings, it seems silly to argue about percentages of possibility that each of these words mean in terms of possibility of something happening. That has nothing to do with the traditional usage. But I think you agree on that anyway. I get the impression it is non-native speakers arguing otherwise.