may/might

RonButters at AOL.COM RonButters at AOL.COM
Fri Apr 28 04:22:20 UTC 2000


Here is an interesting example of what happens when MAY and MIGHT are used
interchangeably:

Reut13:53 04-25-00: At the nearly two-hour meeting in Congress, Reno laid out
a chronological account of the events leading up to the raid, which U.S.
officials said followed indications that there may have been weapons in the
house or the crowd outside.

To me, MAY in this context indicates that the speaker is still uncertain
about whether there were weapons in the house or the crowd. MIGHT would
indicate that the speaker feels that the evidence now indicates that there
were no weapons in the house or the crowd.

Am I the only person left alive with such intuitions?



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