MDMM Modals MAY and MIGHT

MFTE MDMM Bohmann 15 Bohmann 16 child of POMD_ALL

Definition

The modal verbs “may” and “might”.

Parent

POMD_ALL

Detection Rules

mfte

cql[lemma={words} & pos="MD"]
Word list (2 items)
may might

Requires: lemma, pos

pybiber

cql[lemma={words} & pos="MD"]
Word list (2 items)
may might

Requires: lemma, pos

Normalization

Per finite_verbs

Examples

May I have a word with you?

Source: le_foll_2024

But it might not be enough.

Source: le_foll_2024

Sources

  • biber_1988 — Biber, Douglas (1988) : Variation across Speech and Writing
  • mfte — Le Foll, Elen & Shakir, Muhammad (2023/2025) : Multi-Feature Tagger of English (MFTE) — Python version
  • bohmann_2019 — Bohmann, Axel (2019) : Variation in English Worldwide: Varieties and Genres in a Quantitative Perspective

Notes

Part of Biber’s grouped “possibility modals”. Key hedging markers.

View YAML source