"May" vs. "Will" in the English grammar (2024)

What Is Their Main Difference?

The main difference between modal verbs 'may' and 'will' is that 'will' talks about the future and 'may' talks about possibilities.

Modal Verb May

'May' is a modal verb that is used to talk about possibilities, permissions, express wishes, etc. 'May' is mainly used in formal contexts. Take a look at the following examples:

He may be upset with you.

They may join us for dinner.

Modal Verb Will

'Will' is a modal verb that is mainly used to talk about the future. It is also used to predict and talk about habits. For example:

She will start working soon.

It will rain tomorrow.

Similarities

Making Offers

With Conditionals

As shown in the table below, 'may' and 'will' are used as conditional verbs. conditionals are used to show that the occurrence of an event depends on another event or action to happen.

	May	Will
Conditional Type 1	✓	✓
Conditional Type 2	✗	✗
Conditional Type 3	✗	✗
Zero conditional	✗	✗

Conditional Type 1

'May' and 'will' are used in conditional type 1. In this type, we show a condition and the results that follow. These conditions are real situations with a high chance of occurrence. For example:

She will get sick if she stays out in the cold.

She may get sick if she stays out in the cold.

Negation and Question

Modal verbs are used to create negative or interrogative sentences. When creating negative sentences, we add 'not' to the modal verb as illustrated below:

May → May not → Mayn't
Will → Will not → Won't

Here are some examples to illustrate the process of negation:

I may leave Colombia. → I may not leave Colombia.

I will let you borrow my car. → I won't let you borrow my car.

To create questions, we invert the modal verbs with subjects as illustrated below:

You will look after your sister. → Will you look after your sister?

He may leave next week. → May he leave next week?

With Other Modals

We use only one modal verb in a sentence. We cannot use modal verbs with other modal verbs. Take a look at these incorrect sentences:

I ~~may~~ ~~can~~ drive a truck.

I ~~shall~~ ~~will~~ reconsider my life choices.

Differences

Talking about Permission

We use 'may' to give and ask for permission. To ask for permission, we use 'I' or 'we' after 'may.' Take a look at the following dialogue for clarity:

A : May I join you?

B : You may.

Talking about Prediction

We use 'will' to talk about forecasts, possible future events, and predictions. For instance:

You will meet a new person.

It will be sunny all week.

Talking about Possibilities

'May' is also used to talk about present or future possibilities. For example:

It may rain in Spring.

She may join the Canadian Armed Forces.

Talking about Habits

We use 'will' to talk about routine actions that occur in the form of habits. For instance:

He will go for a walk as usual.

Our secretary will answer the calls.

Expressing Wishes

We use 'may' at the beginning of the sentence to express wishes, hopes, condolences, and prayers. For example:

May all your wishes come true.

May he rest in peace.

FAQs

"May" vs. "Will" in the English grammar? ›

The main difference between modal verbs 'may' and 'will' is that 'will' talks about the future and 'may' talks about possibilities.

When to use may vs will? ›

The word 'will' connotes a more definite occurrence; if we say "that will happen", we are indicating that there is no doubt about it, where when we say "that may happen", we are specifically saying it may or it may not happen.

What is the rule for May in grammar? ›

May comes first in the verb phrase (after the subject and before another verb): It may be possible for him to get home tonight. May can't be used with another modal verb: This may hurt you.

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Can I or shall I or may I? ›

Table Summarising the Difference between 'May I' and 'Can I' The word 'May I' is used to ask for permission. The word 'Can I' is used to refer to possible abilities or to seek permission. It is used as a verb.

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When to use may and would? ›

May means that something might happen or you might do something. Would is usually used when something isn't quite certain, or something will happen if something else does, or you will do something if something else happened. Or something didn't happen, but it would have if something else happened/didn't happen.

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Which is more polite may or will? ›

We use 'may' and 'will' to make offers. Offers are statements that show our willingness to do something for someone. Note that 'may' is followed by first-person singular or plural pronoun (I and we). We use 'may' to make polite and formal offers.

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Why use may instead of can? ›

Key Differences between Can and May

"Can" is used to express ability or capability, while "may" is used to express permission or possibility. "Can" is commonly used in informal or general situations, whereas "may" is used in more formal or polite contexts.

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What are 10 examples using may? ›

Some examples:

It might rain tonight.
She might not come to the meeting.
I may need your help on this project.
He may be waiting for us.

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Can we use may and will together in a sentence? ›

“Will” is also a modal verb. It expresses that something is expected to happen in the future. You were right to question the use of two modal verbs together. For example, you would not want to say, “It may will rain today.”

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How do you use may in English? ›

Use may for present tense, and might for past perfect tense. May expresses a high possibility of something happening, whereas might hints that it might not happen. Both may and might can be used to ask for permission, but use may when giving permission.

Why is it better to say may I instead of can I? ›

“May” implies permission. “Can” implies ability. So, “May I go to the bathroom?” is “Will you please permit me to leave class and go to the bathroom?” But, “Can I go to the bathroom?” is “Am I capable of pooping?” “All students may read silently for the next 30 minutes” is a grant of a reading period.

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Can I or may I go to the bathroom? ›

Using can in this sense isn't incorrect but it is considered informal. If you want to sound formal, use may. We all know the joke (or, rather, “joke”): a student raises their hand and asks the teacher “Can I go to the bathroom?” and the teacher responds, “I don't know—can you?”

Is it may I ask or can I ask? ›

Both is correct but the expression on both is different that's why, have different use according to the sentence. Both “Can I ask" and “May I ask" is intended for permission. but “may" version is more polite than use of can. For Better Sentence, “may" is more appropriate.

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What is the rule of May? ›

Use may when you're describing a likely hypothetical, something that's happening in the present tense, or something about which you're granting or asking for permission. Here are a few examples: Javed may offer more tutoring sessions in the future. You may bring one guest.

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Can I vs May I vs Could I? ›

"Can," "may," and "could" are all used to make requests. "May" is formal in these contexts, while "can" and "could" appear mainly in speech: "May I have your attention?" is more formal than "Can I have your attention?" or "Could I have your attention?" For further guidance on these verbs, check the entries for each.