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when we are not sure about something in the present or future:
Jack may be coming to see us tomorrow.
(= Perhaps Jack will come to see us tomorrow.)
to ask for permission in a formal way:
May I borrow the car tomorrow?
to ask for permission in a formal way:
May I borrow the car tomorrow?
We use would as the past of will, to describe past beliefs about the future:
I thought we would be late, so we would have to take the train.
to give permission in a formal way:
You may go now.
to say that someone has permission in a formal way:
Students may travel for free.
to talk about what people want to do or are willing to do:
We'll see you tomorrow.
We can use may not to refuse permission or to say that someone does not have permission, but it is formal and emphatic:
You may not borrow the car until you can be more careful with it!
to talk about typical behaviour, things that we often do (because we are willing to do them):
We always spend our holidays at our favourite hotel at the seaside.
We use might when we are not sure about something in the present or future:
I might see you tomorrow.
We use would as the past tense of will:
to talk about what people wanted to do or were willing to do in the past:
to talk about typical behaviour, things that we often did (because we were willing to do them) in the past:
They'd get up early every morning and have a quick breakfast. Then they'd run across the road to the beach.
We use I will or We will to make promises and offers:
I'll give you a lift home after the party.
We use Will you … ? or Would you … ? to make requests:
Will you carry this for me, please?
We use may have and might have to make guesses about the past:
I haven't received your letter. It may have got lost in the post.
It's ten o'clock. They might have arrived by now.
We also use might:
as the past tense of requests with may:
He asked if he might borrow the car.
They wanted to know if they might come later.
