modal verb + HAVE BEEN BEING + past participle
MIGHT HAVE BEEN BEING RELEASED
may
otherwise
The adverb ‘otherwise‘ has 3 listings in the English Vocabulary Profile. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN B1 used after an order or suggestion to show what the result will be if you do not follow that order or suggestion A search in the NOW corpus for: , otherwise _P _V 1 , OTHERWISE IT WILL 1394 There …
modal verb + YET
At C2 in the English Vocabulary Profile: could/may/might, etc. yet used to say there is still a possibility that something will happen For example: We may yet one day realize the vision of having the internet in our brains. TED And it seems like it‘s very possible that your nation, despite, actually because of the intense problems you face, you may yet be the warning light to the world that shines most visibly, most powerfully. TED NOW corpus search for: _VM yet _VVI 1 MAY YET PROVE 889 2 COULD YET PROVE 662 3 …
English lexical bundles and their most frequent equivalent forms in French
In this post, we put common lexical bundles that French EFL students use in their writing, through our GRAMMAR PROFILER. Magali Paquot wrote a paper about Lexical bundles. Here are the significant forms found in the ICLE – FR: Here are our expert examples: You‘ll be tempted to tear it off. listen They may never be considered as such by religion, but they are just as important as the ones in your textbooks. listen Kaleb‘s art can be viewed as deeply rooted in the pop minimalism of Aureur or Baer. …
English lexical bundles and their most frequent equivalent forms in French Read More »
May be vs maybe (possibility)
Here we explain the differences between may be and maybe ‘maybe‘ is usually an adverb that means ‘perhaps’ or ‘possibly’. ‘may‘ is usually a modal auxiliary verb with many uses related to ‘possibility’, ‘permission’ etc. He is in Vietnam. (sure.) He may be in Vietnam. (50% sure.) Maybe, he is in Vietnam. (50% sure.) ‘be’ …
may | might + as well
May as well and might as well are phrases that mean there is no better alternative or the situation is the same or almost the same as if something else were true.
may not
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 94 in the category of MODALITY is defined:
‘may’ negative
may | might (modal verbs)
A2 points 34 and 48 in the category of MODALITY are defined as: ‘may‘ to talk about weak possibility referring to the present and the future affirmative A2 point 47: ‘might’ … weak possibility. An iWeb search for: may_VM _VVI 1 MAY NEED 294017 2 MAY WANT 253501 3 MAY TAKE 159078 4 MAY INCLUDE 156112 …
there + MODAL VERB + BE
Existential “there + BE” is a grammatical construction that asserts the existence or non-existence of something. It is usually followed by a noun phrase that is the real subject of the sentence. For example:
There is a book on the table.
There are many stars in the sky.
Modal verbs are verbs that express possibility, necessity, obligation, permission, etc. They can be used with existential “there + BE” to hedge claims or express hypothetical situations. For example:
There may be no simple solution to this problem.
There should be some food in the fridge.
however | whoever | whatever + may + seem
Point 213 in MODALITY is defined as: ‘may’ in a subordinate clause expressing concession with ‘however’, ‘whatever’, ‘whoever’ + ‘it or this may be or seem Our examples: All you’ve got to go on is streams of electrical impulses, which are only indirectly related to things in the world, whatever they may be. Compromises can be struck, however difficult it yet may be. A search in iWeb for: however _JJ it|this may_V be|seem 1 …
might | may + not have + PAST PARTICIPLE (past possibility)
C1 MODALITY
‘might or may + not have’ + ‘-ed’ to talk about possibility with a past reference
English Grammar Profile
may | might + FUTURE CONTINUOUS
C1 English Grammar Profile point 65 in the category of future is defined as: EXPECTATIONS WITH ‘MIGHT’ OR ‘MAY’ potentially in progress at a specified or understood time in the future. A search in iWeb: might|may_V be _VVG *Not all of these are about the future. 1 MAY BE WONDERING 10730 2 MAY BE LOOKING …
if + PAST PERFECT + MODAL VERBS
C1 point 112 in CLAUSES/conditional is defined as: Conditional subordinate clauses with ‘if’ + the past perfect simple and modal verb + ‘have’ + ‘-ed’ in the main clause, to talk about imagined situations in the past, often with regret. *Note the same definition with ‘would‘ is listed at B1! Basically, this means that for …
LINKING ADVERBS / SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS
Linking adverbs, also known as conjunctive adverbs, are used to connect ideas between two independent clauses or sentences. They help to show the relationship between these ideas. Here’s how the adverbs ‘also’, ‘however’ and the conjunction ‘so’ function in this capacity: Also: This adverb is used to add information or express agreement with the previous …
may have + PAST PARTICIPLE
In the English Grammar Profile, B2 point 163 MODALITY is defined as: ‘may’ in phrases such as ‘as you may know’, or ‘as you may have’ + ‘-ed’ to focus the reader on shared knowledge. This partly overlaps point 168 MODALITY and PAST AFFIRMATIVE of ‘may have’ + ‘-ed’ to talk about possibility in the …
may … but (unexpected)
In the English Grammar Profile, B2 point 146 in MODALITY for OPINIONs is defined as: ‘may’ … ‘but’ to express an unexpected point of view. Here are some expert examples: You may not be able to leave every job where you‘re treated unfairly, but in a perfect world, one without racism and sexism and the frictions associated with finding a new job, it‘s your sense of fairness that would let you know when it was time to move on. listen You may have no tongue, but there is nothing wrong with your ears. listen A search on iWeb corpus for may * * * * but 1 MAY …
May I?
There are four entries in the English Grammar Profile that capture “May I…?” Point 97 are polite questions. They probably are not really asking for permission. 119 is literally asking for permission. Yet, for the purposes of designating a complexity level, this matters little. The interpretation of this structure becomes more difficult once we jump …
MAY WELL (emphasize something unexpected)
Which verbs are found next to “may well”?