What is the difference for "Can", "May" and "Might"?

Question

I can't understand how I use correctly this words.

"May/Can/Might" I be of some assistance? / ¿Puedo asistirle?

"May/Can/Might" we offer you a suggestion? / ¿Podemos ofrecerle una sugerencia?

...

"May/Can" I see your driver's license? / ¿Puedo ver su permiso de conducir? "May/Can" we have some more water, please? / ¿Podemos tener más agua por favor?

...

I "may/might" go to the park / Puede que vaya al parque

I "may/might" stay home / quizá me queda en casa.

This "may/might" be a bad idea. / Tal vez es una mala idea.

It "may/might" rain tonight. / Quizás llueva esta noche.

Regards and thankyou for help me

Answer 1

Hi Erick

If you send me your email address or Skype name -

I will send you copies of my teaching material for all 11 Modals and their connections to Spanish.

To be fluent in English it is essential that you know how to use them.

My Skype name is ian.francis.hill

Email is [e-mail]

Thank you very much!! It will be great idea.... I am practising - erickbioos, Apr 7, 2011

My Skype name: erickbioos - erickbioos, Apr 7, 2011

My email: [e-mail] ....Regards - erickbioos, Apr 7, 2011

I will be in touch Erick. - ian-hill, Apr 7, 2011

Answer 2

Estas palabras se usan para expresar varios matices relacionados al concepto de modalidad (verbal). Su uso, como verbo auxiliar, es muy semejante a las perífrases modales que ocurren en español en que también, se usan para manifestar, sin recurrir a la flexión verbal, la subjetividad de una enunciación, o sea, "la actitud del hablante hacia la información que se enuncia, así que en inglés las siguientes palabras se usan (como verbos auxiliares de modalidad), más o menos, así:

Can:

Para expresar capacidad, posibilidad o para pedir permiso de algo

May:

Para expresar posibilidad o para pedir permiso de algo

Might:

Para expresar posibilidad y raras veces para pedir permiso de algo (es que es muy pero muy formal)

---

Posibilidad

Puede que vaya al parque

?I might go to the park.
?I may go to the park.

quizá me queda/quede en casa.

?Perhaps/maybe I will stay home.
?I might stay home
?I may stay home

Tal vez es/sea una mala idea.

?Perhaps/maybe this is a bad idea.
?This may be a bad idea.
?This might be a bad idea.

Quizás llueva/llueve esta noche.

?Perhaps/maybe it will rain tonight.
?It may rain tonight.
?It might rain tonight.

Sabe... me gustaría que me aclarara una duda ¿"Might" es más formal que "May"? Es que en esta misma consulta un usuario dice lo contrario. De antemano muchas gracias y reciba un cordial saludo... Haaa por cierto escribe muy bien el Español - erickbioos, Apr 7, 2011

Answer 3

Hola erick

En general: can es algo que puedas hacer porque tienes ya sea la habilidad o la posibilidad de hacerlo.

I can swim. Can you give me the newspaper?

May: Poder en preguntas para pedir permiso de algo.

May I smoke? (le importa que....)

May o might: puede que.

It may rain, I might go out tonight

Según esas directrices, a ver si nos da tu propio intento, a ver si te funciona

OK, this is a test... It might not be so difficult. A-May you answer me something? B-Yes, tell me. A-Can you understand Spanish Heidita? - erickbioos, Apr 7, 2011

Answer 4

Can is ability May is asking for premission in the first example and expressing possiblity the second example Might is used for prossiblity

Thank you! You is so friendly - erickbioos, Apr 7, 2011

Sorry I was wrong.. Thank you! You are so friendly - erickbioos, Apr 7, 2011

Prossibilty:I am sure iit's a typo n the 2nd case (last word) - FELIZ77, Apr 7, 2011

Very good ie clear answer :) - FELIZ77, Apr 7, 2011

Answer 5

Can - Present indicative

May, might - Subjunctive

may and might. It may rain. It might rain. What’s the difference? Just as could is the past tense of can, might is the past tense of may: We thought we might win the tournament. But might can also be used as a substitute for may to show diminished possibility. Thus, saying We might go to the movies means that the likelihood of going is somewhat less than if you say We may go to the movies. When used to express permission, might has a higher degree of politeness than may. Thus, Might I express my opinion conveys less insistence than May I express my opinion.

Although very rare in English, may, might are the one of the few occasions where the subjunctive is used.

Good point, I take a note for this. Thank!! - erickbioos, Apr 7, 2011

Eddy ! "could" is not the past tense of "can" - can is not a verb. - ian-hill, Apr 13, 2011

Answer 6

"May" is more formal than "might".

"May" is also used instead of "can" in formal situations. Usually "can" means both "be able to" AND "allowed to", but if you want to be more formal, you use "may" to me "allowed to". Some sticklers for grammar will insist that "can" should not be used for "allowed to", but every English speaker does it.

Thank you for your help and I will take a note. Could you tell me, I write well? - erickbioos, Apr 7, 2011

"every English speaker does it." Speak for yourself (or your immediate acquaintences), Luciente. - samdie, Apr 7, 2011

You would be hard pressed to find native English speakers that avoid it 100% in speech. - Luciente, Apr 9, 2011

Answer 7

May: Poder en preguntas para pedir permiso de algo.

It may be different with British or English more heavily influenced by British English, but in the U.S. it is very common/colloquial (if not more common) to hear "can" used in expressions asking for permission.

Still, growing up I remember that anytime I would ask my father for permission to do something using the word "can," he would always reply with something like, "Sure, you have the ability to do that, but whether or not you have my permission is another question."

My mom use to say "Well I don't know, can you?" Use to piss me off :) - kerflop, Apr 7, 2011

The first time you say "watch me" and do it, one of you will change your tactics ;) - lorenzo9, Apr 7, 2011

Thank you!! I keep in mind - erickbioos, Apr 7, 2011

It is common to hear it in England but May I do something is more correct for asking permission since you do not need to ask someone else if you are capable of doing something but only if you can be given permission to do it :) - FELIZ77, Apr 7, 2011

Answer 8

This is a difficult question because actual usage is frequently different from what is grammatically correct. I am not well trained in English grammar so would defer to those better trained if there are any disagreements, but...

Can implies ability, possibility by actual contraints (Could is historically the conditional)

May implies permission, possibility by choice (Might is historically the conditional)

So when I say I can do something, it should imply that I am physically able, or not constrained by law, lack of money, etc., and when I say I may do something, it means I have permission, or that I may make a choice to do it or not depending on how I feel (ie, I can do it but am undecided as to whether I will).

That being said, most people I am in contact with regularly use can when they should use may.

I took this from another site answering a different question, but thought it might be helpful: Modals and Conditionals

Strictly speaking, the modals are not tensed. However, they developed historically from tensed verbs. Each group below shows a "historical present / past" pair.

can / could
shall / should
will / would
may / might
must - not paired

In modern English, any of these can be used in a single clause sentence, but when it occurs in just one of two or more clauses in the same sentence, it needs to be matched correctly with the tense in the other clause.

Typically, when the accompanying clause is an "if" clause, the historical present tense forms go with present tense verbs, and historical past tense forms go with past tense verbs. However, "could" and "might", meaning "may" ("it is possible"), can be used with present tense verbs (as well as with past tense verbs). "should" has lost most of its force as a past tense and is better thought of as a present tense form in modern English, meaning "it is advisable". ("shall" is the least used of the modals shown above.) The result of all these historical changes is that in modern English we have far more choices in sentences with a present point of view than in those with a past point of view.

With this in mind we have:

If she has [present] time, she [can, could, (shall), should, will, may, might, must] go to the party. [not "would']

If she had [past] time, she [could, would, might] go to the party. [not "should"]

For reported speech we have the pairs:

He says that he [can, could, (shall), should, will, would, may, might, must] go to the party.

He said that he [could, could, (shall), should, would, would, might, might, must] go to the party.

Note how "can", "will", and "may" are restricted to the present, and the corresponding forms "could", "would", and "might" are used to report "can" or "could", "will" or "would", or "may" or "might" in the past.

Very kind and thank you so much for your help!! - erickbioos, Apr 7, 2011

Excellent Stadt I was corrected in early childhood 5-7 years by a neighbour whose children we often played with. The mother , a nurse told me that I should ask for permission using May I ?not, can I ? - FELIZ77, Apr 7, 2011

Answer 9

There is a game called "Mother, may I?" played by young children. Outside of that, it is rarely used in the US in the sense of asking for permission: people always use can when asking for permission.

Might always means probability, but may is sometimes used. . .could is also used in this sense.

Thank you!! - erickbioos, Apr 7, 2011

Answer 10

I know that it is probably not good English, but where I live in Northern England if somebody wants something, I reckon the breakdown would be:

90% of the time we say "Can I have.........please"

9% "Could I have\you give me .........please"

1% "May/Might I have..............please" This is just too formal\posh for us up north

Northeast or northwest? (My family is from Manchester and Nottingham and my wife's is from Hull). - Stadt, Apr 7, 2011

Right in the middle of that triangle ..... Sheffield! - billygoat, Apr 7, 2011

It's generally too formal/posh for us down here in the South, too....er...that is....down here in the south of the United States ;) - Izanoni1, Apr 7, 2011

My childhood was first north central Florida, then west Texas, but my mother was raised in England to speak correctly, so I always do it wrong and know I did it wrong. - Stadt, Apr 7, 2011

OK, i didn't know but I'm taking note of this... Thanks for all - erickbioos, Apr 7, 2011