Re: may/might (again)

On Tue, 14 Feb 2006 08:12:50 +0800, Robert Bannister <robban@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

Jim Lawton wrote:

On Mon, 13 Feb 2006 00:36:50 GMT, "Alan" <in_flagrante@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:


"Robert Bannister" wrote

Robert Lieblich wrote:


Alan wrote:


"Jim Lawton" wrote
Tony Cooper says :-


She is still Mrs X. However, even when her husband was living she may
have preferred Ms X to Mrs X. The polite thing to do is to follow her
choice. Use what she uses.

This is an example where I feel really strongly that "might" should
have been used. I appear to be in a minority. When I see this use of
"may" I always think, "Of course she 'may', no one was stopping her."

Just curious --- on what grounds do you feel that "might" should have
been
used? Just a quick look at basic references reveals that it's well
established that "may" is not restricted to "permission", but can refer
also
to "possibility".


I have a feeling the choice of "might" in this case is controlled less
by issues of permission or possibility and more by sequence of
tenses. Invoking a deceased person puts the question of preference
into the past, and "might" retains a certain past-ness to this day.
Consider the sentence: "I told him I may be late for the party." No
problem if the party is yet to occur, but if the party was yesterday
traditional grammar requires "might" (Sadly, this distinction is
fading away even as I write this.) So someone with a sensitive ear
for usage wants "might" in the example sentence. I know that my ear,
which is as sensitive as the next person's (sometimes even more so, as
when PG is the next person), is listening for "might."


Much as I agree with you here, I'm not sure I have ever come across a
"may" in a past tense situation. The quoted sentences is quite clearly
Present.

Maybe I'm missing something, but how can you consider "she may have
preferred Ms X to Mrs X" to be "quiet clearly present"?

Especially when prefixed by "when her husband was living".

I accept that part. When I first read the sentence, I didn't feel quite
so certain myself. However, when you take the context of the whole
paragraph ("She is still"; "the polite thing to do is"), the overall
feeling is present tense. The "even when her husband was living" is just
parenthetical.

Alternatively, consider "may" as a narrative present tense, eg
"Formerly, she may have..."

Can't do it. Compare :-

She is a runner with the blue team, formerly she ran with the reds, she
is still a good runner.

The whole parenthetical phrase is in the past tense.
--
Jim
a Yorkshire polymoth
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: may/might (again)
    ... On Tue, 14 Feb 2006 03:40:15 GMT, Tony Cooper ... Invoking a deceased person puts the question of preference ... than what tense those words were. ... have preferred Ms X to Mrs X") is nevertheless quite clearly in past tense. ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • Re: may/might (again)
    ... Invoking a deceased person puts the question of preference ... than what tense those words were. ... "The quoted sentences is quite clearly present" (a ... have preferred Ms X to Mrs X") is nevertheless quite clearly in past tense. ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • Re: may/might (again)
    ... Invoking a deceased person puts the question of preference ... than what tense those words were. ... "The quoted sentences is quite clearly present" (a ... have preferred Ms X to Mrs X") is nevertheless quite clearly in past tense. ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • Re: may/might (again)
    ... Invoking a deceased person puts the question of preference ... than what tense those words were. ... "The quoted sentences is quite clearly present" (a ... have preferred Ms X to Mrs X") is nevertheless quite clearly in past tense. ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • Re: may/might (again)
    ... Invoking a deceased person puts the question of preference ... "I told him I may be late for the party." ... However, when you take the context of the whole paragraph ("She is still"; "the polite thing to do is"), the overall feeling is present tense. ...
    (alt.usage.english)