ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD MAY
Old English mæg, from magan: compare Old High German mag, Old Norse mā.
CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO MAY
PRESENT
Present
I may
you may
he/she/it mays
we may
you may
they may
Present continuous
I am maying
you are maying
he/she/it is maying
we are maying
you are maying
they are maying
Present perfect
I have mayed
you have mayed
he/she/it has mayed
we have mayed
you have mayed
they have mayed
Present perfect continuous
I have been maying
you have been maying
he/she/it has been maying
we have been maying
you have been maying
they have been maying
Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The
present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.
PAST
Past
I mayed
you mayed
he/she/it mayed
we mayed
you mayed
they mayed
Past continuous
I was maying
you were maying
he/she/it was maying
we were maying
you were maying
they were maying
Past perfect
I had mayed
you had mayed
he/she/it had mayed
we had mayed
you had mayed
they had mayed
Past perfect continuous
I had been maying
you had been maying
he/she/it had been maying
we had been maying
you had been maying
they had been maying
Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,
FUTURE
Future
I will may
you will may
he/she/it will may
we will may
you will may
they will may
Future continuous
I will be maying
you will be maying
he/she/it will be maying
we will be maying
you will be maying
they will be maying
Future perfect
I will have mayed
you will have mayed
he/she/it will have mayed
we will have mayed
you will have mayed
they will have mayed
Future perfect continuous
I will have been maying
you will have been maying
he/she/it will have been maying
we will have been maying
you will have been maying
they will have been maying
The
future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.
CONDITIONAL
Conditional
I would may
you would may
he/she/it would may
we would may
you would may
they would may
Conditional continuous
I would be maying
you would be maying
he/she/it would be maying
we would be maying
you would be maying
they would be maying
Conditional perfect
I would have may
you would have may
he/she/it would have may
we would have may
you would have may
they would have may
Conditional perfect continuous
I would have been maying
you would have been maying
he/she/it would have been maying
we would have been maying
you would have been maying
they would have been maying
Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.
IMPERATIVE
Imperative
you may
we let´s may
you may
The
imperative is used to form commands or requests.
NONFINITE VERB FORMS
Present Participle
maying
Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The
present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The
past participle shows the action after completion.
TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «MAY»
The term «may» is very widely used and occupies the
216 position in our list of most widely used terms in the
English dictionary.
FREQUENCY
Very widely used
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «may» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of
may
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our
English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «may».
10 QUOTES WITH «MAY»
Famous quotes and sentences with the word
may.
I feel as if I go to Africa, I may never come back. I'm just going to live with the animals and adopt an elephant, and it's going to be my friend.
If writers learn more from their books than do readers, perhaps I may have begun to learn.
My father-in-law saw me at a dance performance. The next day, I got a phone call, and the caller said, 'I'm Dhirubhai Ambani... may I talk to Nita?' I said, 'It's a wrong number' and put down the phone. Then he called again... and I said, 'If you're Dhirubhai Ambani, then I'm Elizabeth Taylor.'
If you practice an art, be proud of it and make it proud of you It may break your heart, but it will fill your heart before it breaks it; it will make you a person in your own right.
If a nation's security is only as strong as its weakest link, then America may be in serious trouble. Hawaii may be our weakest link and could have a serious impact on our nation's immigration policy.
Since the traditional recorded-music business models have drastically changed, there is truly diminished income derived from recorded music by artists - both current and catalog. The touring industry has become much more important as a majority revenue stream and the ancillary fan experiences and promotions that may be derived from it.
Who knows but that England may revive in New South Wales when it has sunk in Europe.
Americans may have no identity, but they do have wonderful teeth.
When I am dead, I hope it may be said: His sins were scarlet, but his books were read.
Mixing one's wines may be a mistake, but old and new wisdom mix admirably.
10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «MAY»
Discover the use of
may in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to
may and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Ina
May's Guide to Childbirth
Ina May Gaskin, America's leading midwife, shares her exceptional birthing wisdom in this intuitive guide to childbirth.
In 1899 on an island off the coast of Maine, fifteen-year-old May learns why she has always felt different from the other girls in her small town, but must keep hidden that she is a mermaid or risk attracting the attention of a dangerous ...
3
Stability and Complexity in Model Ecosystems
What makes populations stabilize? What makes them fluctuate? Are populations in complex ecosystems more stable than populations in simple ecosystems? In 1973, Robert May addressed these questions in this classic book.
Robert McCredie May, 2001
4
May '68 and Its Afterlives
May '68 and Its Afterlives is especially timely given the rise of a new mass political movement opposing global capitalism, from labor strikes and anti-McDonald's protests in France to the demonstrations against the World Trade Organization ...
5
Gilles Deleuze: An Introduction
This book offers a readable and compelling introduction to the work of one of the twentieth century's most important and elusive thinkers.
What if our logic and science derive from art forms, rather than the other way around? In this trenchant volume, Rollo May helps all of us find those creative impulses that, once liberated, offer new possibilities for achievement.
7
Modern Chinese Literature in the
May Fourth Era
This is the first study of modern Chinese literature that shows how China's Confucian traditions were combined with Western influences to create a literature of new values and consciousness for the Chinese people.
8
That the World
May Know: Bearing Witness to Atrocity
Drawing on firsthand accounts from fieldworkers around the world, the book gives a painfully clear picture of the human cost of confronting inhumanity in our day.
9
The China Mystique: Pearl S. Buck, Anna
May Wong, Mayling ...
"The China Mystique "illustrates how each of these women encountered the possibilities as well as the limitations of transnational status in attempting to shape her own opportunities.
10
I
May Not Get There with You: The True Martin Luther King, Jr
Arguing that Martin Luther King, Jr., should stand beside the Founding Fathers in terms of his significance to American history, the author serves up a compelling portrait of a personally flawed but nevertheless great leader.
10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «MAY»
Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term
may is used in the context of the following news items.
FIFA Scandal May Touch Unsuspecting Property Renters
Of all the revelations packed into the federal indictment in May of FIFA officials and sports marketing executives — including bribery, fraud and ... «New York Times, Jul 15»
Father of Pakistan's nuclear bomb says deal may have saved Iran …
May 8, 2011: Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan is photographed after a silent prayer over the grave of his brother Abdul Rauf Khan ... «Fox News, Jul 15»
Trump's tough talk turbocharged his bid. Now it may short-circuit it.
BLUFFTON, S.C. — The very brashness that propelled Donald Trump's sudden rise to the top of the polls may now push his political fortunes in ... «Washington Post, Jul 15»
Sugary drinks may cause type 2 diabetes regardless of size …
Sugar-sweetened drinks may contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes, even when people are not obese. Photograph: Lewis Whyld/PA. «The Guardian, Jul 15»
Too Much TV May Raise The Risk Of Alzheimer's, Study Says
So it may be less about your TV viewing and more about what you're not doing while you are watching TV -- exercising and moving around. «Huffington Post, Jul 15»
And the Oscar may go to … 40 key movies in contention for 2016 …
Think you're in peak summer blockbuster season? Think again! Next week the first big programme announcements from the autumn festivals ... «The Guardian, Jul 15»
Theater shooter may not be executed even if sentenced to die
DENVER — The time has come for jurors to hear whether James Holmes should be executed for killing 12 people in a Colorado movie theater. «New York Post, Jul 15»
Apple May Have Sold at Least 1.9 Million Watches in First Period
Apple Inc., which isn't breaking out sales of its new smartwatch, said revenue in the category containing the device rose by about $950 million ... «Bloomberg, Jul 15»
Meet the fighter who believes she may be ready for Rousey
By that point, she'd survived a car accident in which she'd broken her back and was told she may never walk, in addition to the longtime ... «Yahoo Sports, Jul 15»
CLIFFORD MAY: Scuttle Obama's Iran deal, or surrender
You may recall that Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif was adamant on this point. Responding to the March letter from 47 Republican ... «Washington Times, Jul 15»
