student asking question

Why does this sentence use "might", not "may"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Great question. Both "may" and "might" refer to an event, situation or outcome that is possible or probable. However, the difference between the two, is that "may" should be used when you're talking about a possible event or an event that could be factual. In contrast, "might" refers to events that are hypothetical or probable but very unlikely. Richard is using "might" here because he is being sarcastic. This is a very awkward situation for all the characters in the video, and he doesn't think it will be fun for them to sit next to each other. Ex: If you get ready in five minutes, you might be able to catch your plane. Ex: If you get ready in the next hour, you may be able to catch your plane. Another difference is that "may" is the verb in the present tense, while "might" is the same verb but in the past tense. So depending on the tense you were using your sentence, you can easily determine which will be the correct word to go with us. Ex: Jane may call me, so I have to keep my phone on. Ex: Jane might have called me, but my phone was off.

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