may
part of speech
modal verb (may; past/softer: might; may not); noun (May, the month; may, a tree)
meaning for a pupil
1) May means something is allowed: you may go out. tree →
2) May means something is possible: it may rain. tree →
3) May is used for polite requests: may I come in? tree →
4) May is the fifth month of the year, with 31 days. tree →
5) May (or hawthorn) is a tree with white spring flowers. tree →
6) (formal) «May» is used for wishes: «May you have a long life.» tree →
7) (formal, exam, rules) «May» states what is permitted by a rule: «Candidates may use a calculator»; «may not» means it is forbidden. tree →
8) (casual) In quick talk «may» is often replaced by «can» or «might»: «can I go?», «might rain»; «may as well» means there is no reason not to. tree →
sense in the lessons
In maths it is a word of possibility in the question, or a month of 31 days: as a month, a daily amount × 31; «may take 2 each» is a limit per person (multiply). In everyday life: «May I...?» is polite asking; in the north May is late spring, in Australia and NZ late autumn. «May the best team win.» In the exam voice: «Candidates may assume that…», «it may be assumed that». In casual talk: «may as well», «you might wanna». Phrases: «may I», «may as well», «be that as it may», «come what may».
examples
- You may use a ruler. tree →
- She saved 1 dollar a day in May. tree →
- May has 31 days. tree →
- Each child may take 2 sweets. tree →
- May I go to the toilet, please? tree →
- It may snow tonight, so wear a hat. tree →
- Our school sports day is in May. tree →
- You may not run in the corridor. tree →
- The birds come back in May. tree →
- bus is late again, may as well walk (casual) tree →
- Can I go? — You may not, and don't ask again. (rough, strict) tree →
- Candidates may assume that each month of May comprises 31 days; compute the aggregate saving at one dollar per day. (formal exam) tree →
note
«May» never takes -s or «to»: she may go (not «she mays», not «may to go»). «May» (allowed) is more polite than «can». «Maybe» (one word) means perhaps; «may be» (two words) is the verb. The month takes a capital M. Maths: May has 31 days. Trap: «may» is a permission or a chance, not a certain amount. «May not» can mean «not allowed» or «perhaps not»: «You may not go» (forbidden) vs «It may not rain» (perhaps not). «May as well» (casual) = there is no better choice.
In the corpora
- While a parent is unemployed the family may claim benefits and cut spending; free fun like parks and libraries helps.
- Tenants who cannot get a repair done may complain more than once or ask the council for help.
- Much housework is invisible, like booking appointments and planning meals, so each grown-up may not see what the other does.
- A parent sleeping on the sofa for a few nights may mean a disagreement, or something simple like snoring or a bad back.
- Separating means parents stop living together as a couple; it may lead to a divorce, but not always straight away.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «may» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.