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student asking question

Is there any difference in meaning even though it's subtle between "may have been" and "might have been"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Generally, they're interchangeable! However, there can be a slight difference, especially depending on the tone. "May have been" can be conveyed as a more polite and more certain than "might." It implies that the information seems accurate but has a slight chance of not being true. "Might have been" could sound like one's really not sure. Ex: I'm sorry I missed your call. I may have been at the store then. Ex: Jane might have received the parcel, but I'm not too sure. Ex: People might have been nervous to go on the new ride. = People may have been nervous to go on the new ride.

Popular Q&As

04/17

Complete the expression with a quiz!

Actually,

it

was

probably

the

fleas

on

dogs

that

carried

diseases,

but

people

may

have

been

confused

about

that

at

the

time.