May and Might Exercises

May and might express possibility — things that are perhaps true or could happen: "It may rain tomorrow" or "She might be at home." The meaning is very similar, but might suggests a slightly lower chance. Both follow the same simple pattern: may/might + base verb, with no changes for third person (he may, she might — no "s"). For formal permission, may is the traditional choice: "May I come in?" sounds more polite and formal than "Can I come in?"

In everyday English, the difference between "may" and "might" is small, and many native speakers use them in the same way for possibility. However, for past possibility, use may have or might have + past participle: "She may have missed the bus" or "He might have forgotten." In conditional sentences about the past, prefer "might have": "If we had left earlier, we might have arrived on time" (but we didn't). The negative forms are "may not" (not "mayn't") and "might not" (or "mightn't" in informal speech). Remember that "may not" means "perhaps not" (possibility), which is completely different from "mustn't" (prohibition). This difference is commonly tested in Cambridge B1 Preliminary and B2 First exams.