“Do you think it will rain tonight? I don’t know, it might.” (small possibility) “You’re head is warm. It’s a small difference, but a difference nonetheless. ‘Might’ has a similar meaning, but refers to something a bit less likely to happen. Besides being a request for permission, the word ‘may’ can also refer to something that is likely to happen. Might ‘May’ and ‘might’ are a bit easier. Right? However, like we have discussed, it would not be uncommon to hear a native English speaker ask “Can I borrow your book?”
Your ability is assumed, so you really just want to ask permission. Therefore you would hopefully say that “May I…” is the correct choice here. If you use “May I…” then you are asking permission to use the book and bring it back at a later time. Which do you think is correct? If you use “Can I…” you are literally asking if you have the ability to pick the book up from the person’s hands, walk away with it, and return it later. “Can I borrow your book?” “May I borrow your book?” Because this is a common mix-up it can make it a bit difficult to realize when there is actually a mistake being made. The meanings of ‘can’ and ‘may’ are often confused, and even native speakers sometimes use them incorrectly. Now unfortunately, these two words can cause trouble. For example “May I please use your stapler?” May – Authorization or permission to do something.
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