Question #4260e
2 Answers
See below
Explanation:
I'm guessing that you mean may as in the word expressing possibility, not the month of the year nor the plant .
Examples :
"May I use the bathroom?"
"May I speak to you privately sir?"
"If I may ask, what is that on your face?"
"May" often is used when asking for permission, and when indicating that some future action or event is possible, but not guaranteed.
Explanation:
"May" and "can" are often used interchangeably, but they do not have the same meaning. For example, a person might say, "Can I be excused?" when asking someone with authority whether the person will be allowed to leave the room, the dinner table, the witness chair, etc. But the correct form is "May I be excused?" because the speaker is asking for permission.
"Can" implies the ability to do something. For example, "I can climb stairs." "I can add and subtract." "I can speak French." The speaker of these sentences is stating his or her ability to perform an action.
"May" implies the need for permission or the possibility of some future event. It would be incorrect to say "I may climb stairs" or "I may add and subtract" when what is meant is that the speaker HAS THE ABILITY to do those actions. That's when "can" is used.
When talking about some future event, it is correct to say "It may rain tomorrow" and "I may go to a movie." These two sentences indicate that an event MIGHT take place, but is not certain to take place. If the speaker said "It can rain tomorrow" instead of "It may rain tomorrow," then the two sentences would have completely different meanings. "It can rain tomorrow" implies that the speaker would not be upset if rain happened, or would even be glad if it rained.
I hope this is helpful to you.
