English is one of the ancient and most widely used languages in the world. People are bilingual or multilingual, and one of their languages is always English.
English has eight parts of speech. Parts of speech are a category assigned to a word based on its function. English also uses various other components which make up their grammar.
One of them is auxiliary verbs. It is used with the verb to give the sentence a voice, tone and mood.
Key Takeaways
- “Might” and “might be” are both used to express possibility or uncertainty, but “might be” is more specific and refers to a particular situation or circumstance.
- “Might” is more general and can refer to any possibility or uncertainty, while “might be” focuses more on a particular scenario.
- “Might” can be used as a standalone verb or auxiliary verb, while “might be” is always used as a modal verb followed by an adjective or noun.
Might vs Might Be
The difference between Might and Might is that might is used when there are few chances of an event occurring, whereas might is used in cases with significantly fewer chances of happening. Both are used for the same purpose, but the tone and severity of the situation differentiate their usage in the situations.
Might- refers to a situation that has a possibility of occurrence. It might refer to a chance or situation that may or may not happen. The occurrence of this is not entirely assured. E.g. Riya might go to Delhi next. She might be planning the trip right now.
‘Might Be’ refers to a situation with minimal possibility of occurrence. It can also be used in hypothetical situations and in case of making assumptions. The events can be either happening or not happening. It doesn’t show the happening of the event. E.g. She might be in the library right now.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Might | Might Be |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Might is an auxiliary verb used in a past tense form. | Might be is an auxiliary verb used after the subject and before the verb. |
| Root verb | May | May |
| Tense | The past principle form of may | Simple past tense of may |
| Usage | Used in a situation that has very fewer possibilities or in situations that are unlikely to happen. Used in case of seeking permission. | Used in implied future but conditional cases. |
| Nature of speech | Informal | Less Informal |
What is Might?
Might is an auxiliary verb. It is the past principle form of the verb- ‘may’. It can be used in several sentences, but the context can differ greatly.
Might is used in sentences that show fewer possibilities of the occurrence of a future event.
It can describe a hypothetical, counterfactual situation or has fewer chances of happening. Some of the usage of the auxiliary verb ‘might’ is demonstrated in this article.
Might is used when we have to report something said, thought, or asked by someone.
E.g. Risha said that she might join the golf club. I bought an umbrella with me, as I thought it might rain today.
Might is also used while suggesting something to someone. E.g. I think you might try this cuisine one more time. She might take the painkiller for her joint pain.
Might is also used to ask questions or to request something politely. E.g. I wonder if you might give me a ride back home. Might I invite you to the dinner hosted by my parents this weekend?
Might is also used to describe situational aspects or theoretical aspects. E.g. If I win the lottery, I might buy a house. If you drive a little fast, you might reach the venue on time.
Other examples: Ajay might have lost his wallet at the shop. The teacher might have noticed the similarities in the concept idea. I might go to the hospital to visit my grandmother.
What is Might Be?
Might be is an auxiliary verb used with the verb to make a meaningful sentence. It is used in cases where there is a remote possibility of the occurrence of events.
‘Might be’ can be used in sentences that show a rare possibility of occurrence.
Might be is used to signify a situation or a small probable event. E.g. Raghav’s parents might be upset after learning about her exam results.
Saif might be playing volleyball with his friends. Kritika might be working from home all this time.
Might be is used while making situational assumptions. E.g. This might be the hardest decision she would ever make. Ankita might be more uncomfortable in these surroundings.
It can also be used to address the present scenario or answer something. Eg. The wallet might be on the table.
Main Differences Between Might and Might Be
- ‘Might’ is a past principle form of may, used to describe the possibility of an event, but only when there is a small degree of possibility. ‘Might’ when complemented with a lexical verb ‘be’, then its usage becomes more of a future perspective. E.g. She might be late for the class.
- ‘Might’ is used in situations with fewer chances of happening, but ‘might be’ suggests even less probability of happening.
- ‘Might’ is used while seeking permission. ‘Might be’ describes situations happening at the moment or shortly.
- ‘Might’ is used to avoid confusion and make assumptions or describe hypothetical situations.
- ‘Might’ imply the present and is used in the present tense, whereas ‘might be’ refers to the implied future but is conditional.
Last Updated : 11 June, 2023
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Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.
I found the real-life scenarios in which ‘might’ and ‘might be’ were used very helpful in understanding the grammar rules. More examples like that would improve the article.
I think the use of humor would have made this clearer. It seems the author does not use much humor in this writing, leaving the tone quite rigid and dry.
I disagree with the explanation of ‘might’ and ‘might be’. They both convey possibility, and it seems illogical to classify one as having fewer chances than the other.
I already knew that English was a widely used language, but I did not know the specifics of the parts of speech and the usage of auxiliary verbs. Very informative.
This was quite a phenomenal piece. I thoroughly enjoyed the structural and grammatical focus of this article. Highly informative and detailed.
This article was both educational and interesting. English grammar can be quite complex but breaking it down like this helped me understand better.
I appreciated the author’s use of hypothetical examples in explaining the usage of ‘might’ and ‘might be’. It made the content relatable and understandable.
The detailed explanations were very easy to understand. I have never thought about the difference between ‘might’ and ‘might be’ until now. Thank you for including the comparison table.
I wish they had included more example sentences to see the difference between ‘might’ and ‘might be’ used in context, but this was still a good read.
This was truly a fantastic read. The author’s explanation of ‘might be’ was particularly enlightening, and I appreciated the directness with which they elaborated on it.