Modal Verb: May-Might
May or might have many function such as : it used to express a polite request, permission and degree of certainty.
The structure :
(+) S + may/might + main verb
(-) S + may not/ might not + main verb
(?) May/might + S + main verb
The functions :
1. Express a polite request
May/might rather used to express a polite request. For may there only with I or we. May and might used to express the request that occur in the present and future.
E.g : May I know your name?
Might I know your name?
2. Formal permission
This function just only used by may but not occur in might. It’s to express the formal request.
E.g : You may bring my car
3. Degree of certainty
May and might express a weak degree of certainty, whether it’s in present, past or future time or positive also negative.
E.g :
She may/might be sick (positive, present)
Rudy may/might not come (negative, present)
Fanni may/might have been thirsty (Positive, past)
Fanni may/might not have been thirsty (negative, past)
He may/might think twice to get the best solution (positive, future)
The structure :
(+) S + may/might + main verb
(-) S + may not/ might not + main verb
(?) May/might + S + main verb
The functions :
1. Express a polite request
May/might rather used to express a polite request. For may there only with I or we. May and might used to express the request that occur in the present and future.
E.g : May I know your name?
Might I know your name?
2. Formal permission
This function just only used by may but not occur in might. It’s to express the formal request.
E.g : You may bring my car
3. Degree of certainty
May and might express a weak degree of certainty, whether it’s in present, past or future time or positive also negative.
E.g :
She may/might be sick (positive, present)
Rudy may/might not come (negative, present)
Fanni may/might have been thirsty (Positive, past)
Fanni may/might not have been thirsty (negative, past)
He may/might think twice to get the best solution (positive, future)
Daftar Pustaka:
ReplyDeleteSchrampfer azar, Betty, Understanding and Using English Grammar, longman; 1998.
http://learningenglish.com
http://englishclub.com
http://ccc.commnet.edu
Chalker, Sylvia and Weiner, Edmund, Oxford Dictionary Of English Grammar, oxford university press; 1994
Riley, Kathryn and Parker, Frank, English Grammar (Prescriptive, Descriptive, Generative, Performance), Allyn bacon; 1998.
Greenbaun, Sydney and Quirk, Randolph, A Student’s Grammar Of The English Language, longman; 1990.