[riverkid]

MrPedantic: Where "may" has a sense of "capacity", we sometimes find a genuine past-tense "might":


"Of course she was very busy all day long, but whenever she had a little spare time she sat down to spin. Her distaff turned of itself and her spindle span by itself and the flax wound itself off; and however much she might use there was always plenty left."


"Stilicho's position was not so secure as it seemed. His daughter, the Empress Maria, was dead, but Honorius had been induced to wed her sister Aemilia Materna Termantia, and Stilicho might think that his influence over the Emperor was inpregnable, and might still hope for the union of his son with Placidia. But any popularity he had won by the victory over Gildo, by the expulsion of Alaric from Italy, by the defeat of Radagaisus, was ebbing away."

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I certainly can't insist you answer my questions, Mr P, and I'm not but I think them pertinent to the discussion so I wish you'd try. I will, of course address yours as fully as I can once you've confirmed V2's meaning for me.

In Rewboss' post he stated that these type of collocations, the ones I've underlined above, are subjunctives. I think I asked you a similar question.