May or might?

When is it right to use may and when to use might? Opinions vary, depending on what you read. Here are a few guidelines culled from the Economist Style Guide and the Oxford Guide to English Usage. 1. If the truth of the event is unknown, then may or might are interchangeable. • I may/might go home early • If I go home early, I may/might have to come in early tomorrow • He may/might have come home early. 2. If you are stating a certainty, use may. • I may be a linguist, but I don’t speak German. 3. If the event never actually happened, or you are stating something contrary to fact, use might. • If I had come in earlier, my whole life might have been different. • If I had wings, I might get to work more quickly. 4. Use might when following a conditional subjunctive. • If I were to go home early, I might have to come in early tomorrow. If you have any questions about writing skills, leave a comment below.