“Might I leave early today?”
Usage Entry 533 / 1605 60-second read
May vs. Might
Permission or possibility versus lesser possibility.
The comparisoni
“May I leave early today?”
The ruleii
¶
MAY asks permission. MIGHT expresses possibility.
Use MAY for permission and present possibility. Use MIGHT for a less-likely possibility or the past.
Memory aidiii
Remember it like this
Ask: MAY. Wonder: MIGHT."