might

[ridvann]

Hi,

2 days ago, my girlfriend and I came back from the bar, she was so drunk, and wanted me to take her my home, Finally we did. As I said before that she was so drunk. Suddenly she wanted me to kiss her. That night, I might kiss her, but I didn't. I didn't wanted to do that.

Can we use 'might' instead of 'may' in this case?

Thanks...

 

[SoothingDave]

"That night I might have kissed her." If you are talking about the possibility of kissing her.

If you mean that she would have given you permission, then you need to say something like "That night, she would have allowed me to kiss her."

 

[ridvann]

What if I am talking about the permission of 'may' in past? We know that we use 'may' with 'permission'. And in this case 'might' has been used as 'may'.

2 days ago, my girlfriend and I came back from the bar, she was so drunk, and wanted me to take her my home, Finally we did. As I said before that she was so drunk. Suddenly she wanted me to kiss her.That night, I might kiss her, but I didn't.

​

 

[SoothingDave]

I would advise against using "might" as the past tense of "may" like this.

 

[ridvann]

Could you please give a few examples of 'might' as a past of 'may'? Must we use 'might' as a past of 'may' for only reported speech?

I have seen this example in this page:

"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."​

 

[5jj]

I have seen this example in this page:

That is no help to us, unless you telll us the page.

Actually, it is from a fairy story written over a century ago, so is not a model for English today.

 

[ridvann]

How about it?

When I was a child, my parents let me alone at home. Suddenly, I wanted to do something different. Something I hadn't tried up that time. I wanted to smoke.(That night) I might do smoke. I was alone, but I didn't.

Please if it is Ok, tell me, if not again please give me some example how to use 'might' for past actions.

 

[bhaisahab]

How about it?

When I was a child, my parents let me alone at home. Suddenly, I wanted to do something different. Something I hadn't tried up that time. I wanted to smoke.(That night) I might do smoke. I was alone, but I didn't.

Please if it is Ok, tell me, if not again please give me some example how to use 'might' for past actions.

It's not right.

 

[cereal_chick]

I might do smoke.

This is incorrect because "do" here is being used as an auxiliary, but might is the auxiliary here – principal rule: auxiliaries NEVER go together.

Your uses of may here are largely non-sensical because may expresses the possibility of something being true and you're following it with an affirmative statement.

That night, I might kiss her

The preterit of a modal verb does not necessarily mean the past tense – here, you would say "I might have kissed her." And contrary to what I said earlier, I think you could follow that with "but I didn't", assuming the might refers to you being given permission to kiss her. As I'm not a teacher, I'm struggling to try and explain this and I'm not entirely sure I'm correct.

[Not a teacher]

 

[ridvann]

We can't we use 'might' in the past sentences if we don't use a main clause before the modal 'might'. Is this what I have understood? Please give some examples. We have to use 'might' like that:

I thought that I might.........
I knew that I might............
He said that I might.........

Is that right?​

 

[Raymott]

We can't we use 'might' in the past sentences if we don't use a main clause before the modal 'might'. Is this what I have understood? Please give some examples. We have to use 'might' like that:

I thought that I might.........
I knew that I might............
He said that I might.........

Is that right?​

It's right insofar as "That night, I might kiss her" is wrong, and "That night, she said I might kiss her" is right.
In AusE, we'd invariably say, "That night, she said I could kiss her" to mean this.

Note however that the meaning changes with the first verb.
"I thought I might kiss her" means "I thought there was a possibility of my kissing her" (I might decide to kiss her), not "I thought that she would let me kiss her." (She might let me kiss her).
"I knew that I might kiss her" has similar connotations to "I thought ..."