EnglishCafe
| previous page | English Cafe Top | following page |
 |
| 2. May ( subjectiveness) "May" have the two meanings as follows. These are correlative to "can." "May" is used for the affirmative sentence but "can" is used for the negative and interrogative sentence. (1) a. Permission ( subjectiveness - objective meaning) b. Possibility ( subjectiveness) The permission of "may" is formal. It is not often used, therefore, "may" is often used for the possibility. The past tense of "might" does not usually express the meaning of "may" as it is other than the sequence of tense. (*8)
Especially, it is not used for the permission. Moreover, even if it is used for the possibility, it is treated as the present usually. This usage is often used. |
| previous page | English Cafe Top | following page |
| Copyright (c) English Cafe : Unapproved printing of the text and figure in this site is forbidden. |