atw: Re: US/Aus English

You might well be right, Peter (B).

Indeed, you may even be right.
(Even if you don't require my permission to be so.)

That said, let us take a look at an extract of what Bill
Bryson wrote in his "Dictionary of Troublesome Words"
for "can, may".
(Wow, punctuation within quotes, but I was quoting a
punctuated piece. See ya later punctuator! In a while
apostrophile!)

"can, may.  You have probably heard it a thousand times
before, but it bears repeating that can applies to what is
possible and may to what is permissible."

If the 'Merkins don't think that might is right, who does!

HTH.

Regards,

Michael

--
Michael Granat
Write Ideas*
Carnegie, Victoria, Australia.
E-mail:         writeideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Web:            www.writeideas.com.au

*Trading As business #0828673K
Registered (1987) Corporate Affairs Victoria

Plain English Technical Communication.
Advertising Copywriting.
Business Writing.
Web & Direct Marketing Content Writing.

E&OE - Errors & Omissions Excepted



----- Message from peter@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---------
   Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 17:37:07 +1000
   From: Peter Bloxsom <peter@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Reply-To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: atw: Re: US/Aus English
     To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx


There's a lot more to the question between "may" and "might" than
you suggest, Michael. It isn't true that "may" is appropriate only
in expressing permission. The words "may" and "might" are forms of
the same auxiliary verb, with a whole cluster of idiomatic meanings.
Collins Dictionary and others give examples, and there's a long
article on the subject in "Modern Australian Usage" (OUP). Certainly
in Australia, the US, the UK, and other Anglophone countries, both
"may" and "might" are used to express probability. In these senses,
as Collins puts it:

  The difference between "may" and "might" is one of
  emphasis: "he might be coming" usually indicates less
  certainty than "he may be coming".

A complication is that "might" is both the past tense and the
subjunctive form of "may". "If the Government acts, the problem may
not arise" is normal and correct. So is "If the Government had
acted, the problem might not have arisen". But sometimes the two are
inelegantly combined: "If the Government had acted, the problem may
not have arisen." That sounds wrong.
------------------------------------------
Peter Bloxsom
http://www.netpublish.net
peter@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<snip>
----- End message from peter@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx -----


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