Rob Ashton
When is it right to use may and when to use might?
Opinions vary, depending on what you read. Here are a few guidelines culled from the Economist Style Guide and the Oxford Guide to English Usage.
1. If the truth of the event is unknown, then may or might are interchangeable.
• I may/might go home early
• If I go home early, I may/might have to come in early tomorrow
• He may/might have come home early.
2. If you are stating a certainty, use may.
• I may be a linguist, but I don’t speak German.
3. If the event never actually happened, or you are stating something contrary to fact, use might.
• If I had come in earlier, my whole life might have been different.
• If I had wings, I might get to work more quickly.
4. Use might when following a conditional subjunctive.
• If I were to go home early, I might have to come in early tomorrow.
If you have any questions about writing skills, leave a comment below.
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