Q. How do I use the words might and may?
A. May expresses likelihood while might
expresses a stronger sense of doubt or a contrary-to-fact hypothetical
The difference in degree between “You may be
right” and “You might be right” is slight but not insignificant:
If I say you may be right about something, there is a higher degree of
probability that you are right about it than if I say you might be right about
something. “You think Einstein is the most brilliant physicist who ever
lived? You may be right.” versus “You think it’s going to rain this
afternoon even though the sun is shining this morning? Well, you might be right.”
May expresses likelihood while might expresses a stronger sense
of doubt or a contrary-to-fact hypothetical: “We might have been able to
go if Kyle hadn’t been so slow.”
