CÁCH SỬ DỤNG "MAY" TRONG TƯƠNG QUAN VỚI "MIGHT"
A. Nghiên cứu tình huống sau:
Bạn đang tìm Bob. Không ai biết chắc chắn anh ta đang ở đâu nhưng bạn nhận được một số gợi ý.
[ATTACH]10778[/ATTACH]He may be in his office.(= perhaps he is in his office)
He might be having lunch.(= perhaps he is having lunch)
Ask Ann. She might know.(= perhaps she knows)
Chúng ta sử dụng may hoặc might để nói rằng một điều gì đó có khả năng xảy ra. Thường thì chúng ta có thể sử dụng may hoặc might, vì vậy bạn có thể nói:
- It may be true. or It might be true. (= perhaps it is true)
- She might know. hoặc She may know.
Cấu trúc phủ định của chúng là may not và might not (hoặcmightn't):
- It might not be true. (= perhaps it isn't true)
- I'm not sure whether I can lend you any money. I may not have enough.
(= perhaps I don't have enough)
Nghiên cứu cấu trúc sau:
[ATTACH]10779[/ATTACH]
B. Đối với thì quá khứ chúng ta sử dụng may have (done) hoặc might have (done):
- A: I wonder why Kay didn't answer the phone.
- B: She may have been asleep. (= perhaps she was asleep)
- A: I can't find my bag anywhere.
- B: You might have left it in the shop. (= perhaps you left it in the shop)
- A: I was surprised that Sarah wasn't at the meeting.
- B: She might not have known about it. (= perhaps she didn't know)
- A: I wonder why Colin was in such a bad mood yesterday.
- B: He may not have been feeling well. (= perhaps he wasn't feeling well)
Nghiên cứu cấu trúc sau:
[ATTACH]10780[/ATTACH]
C. Đôi khi could có nghĩa giống với may và might:
- The phone's ringing. It could be Tim.
(= it may/might be Tim)
- You could have left your bag in the shop.
(= you may/might have left it…)
Nhưng couldn't (phủ định) khác với may not và might not. So sánh:
- She was too far away, so she couldn't have seen you.
(= it is not possible that she saw you)
- A: I wonder why she didn't say hello.
- B: She might not have seen you.
(= perhaps she didn't see you; perhaps she did)
