Hi, grammar girl. I love your podcast. And I wanted to know if you could clarify the

correct usage of May and Might. I may go to the party or I might go to the party. They

may come to our party or they might come to our party. I'm unsure. Could you please

clarify this for me?

Thanks Elizabeth. The difference between May and Might is subtle. They both indicate

that something is possible, but something that may happen is more likely than something

that might happen. So you may go to a party if Matt Damon invites you, but you might

go to a party if your least favorite cousin invites you. I remember the difference by

thinking that I should use might when something is a mighty stretch. Imagine something

you'd almost never do and then imagine someone inviting you to do it. For me, it's

a whitewater rafting. The idea terrifies me. So if someone such as my former employer

asked me to go on a corporate bonding whitewater rafting trip, it's unlikely I'd go, but

I could be convinced if I thought my job depended on it. But it would be a mighty stretch.

So it's something like, yeah, I might go and pigs might fly too. So imagine whatever

it is you'd be reluctant to do, but wouldn't completely rule out. And then imagine yourself

saying in a nice sarcastic voice, yeah, I might. And that should help you remember to use

might when the outcome is uncertain or unlikely. And to use may when something is more likely

to happen, such as attending a nice, safe company lunch where helmets and lifefests aren't

required. You might clean up your room, but you may call your friend later. You might climb

out Everest someday, but you may go hiking in the foothills next weekend. There are two

exceptions to this rule. First, might is the past tense of may. So you have to use might

when you're referring to the past. For example, even if it's likely that squiggly went to

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