modal verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
can/may I suggest (= used to politely suggest a different idea )
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May I suggest that you think carefully before rushing into this?
come what may (= whatever happens )
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I knew he’d be able to take care of himself, come what may .
early in May/June etc
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I usually go on holiday early in July.
It may interest...to know that
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It may interest you to know that a number of scholarships are available.
May Day
next/last May
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She started work here last May.
Strange as it may seem
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Strange as it may seem , I actually prefer cold weather.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
May through June/Wednesday through Friday etc
as well sb might/may
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Marilyn looked guilty when she saw me, as well she might.
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And a deviant and mentally diseased species as well .
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Microscopes caught the imagination, as well they might.
be that as it may
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"Everyone knows it was your idea." "Be that as it may, we can present it together."
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Be that as it may, all of us need order.
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Be that as it may, blood-sharing in vampire bats seems to fit the Axelrod model well.
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Be that as it may, Driesch concluded that Weismann was wrong, at least in part.
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Be that as it may, his depiction was so convincingly done as to restore belief in the existence of centaurs!
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Be that as it may, I shall attempt to explain the spiritual aspect in my own terms.
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Be that as it may, terrible things clearly happened.
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Be that as it may, the truth is plain: this is an exercise of arrogant power which stinks.
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Be that as it may, Woolridge had his suspicions.
can/could/may I have
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Are you saying that you're refusing to do that? ... Could I have your number?
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How can I have a death certificate?
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How could I have been anything but evil to her?
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How could I have been such a fool as to take him seriously?
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How else could I have known about it unless I was your son?
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It seemed a dream come true-what more could I have asked for?
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My question is, how can I have problems like other fishkeepers?
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What could I have paid for it?
could/may/might yet do sth
if I may be so bold
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And what, if I may be so bold , is the meaning of this note?
if I may say so
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And his manner was, if I may say so, more relaxed, almost like an aristocrat.
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And if I may say so, they seem more useful than yours.
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For my interior vision, if I may say so, it still works.
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Now, you're a plants-woman of no small renown, if I may say so, your ladyship.
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Suicidal, if I may say so.
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Unlike, if I may say so, the dabblings of your brother in the theology of physics.
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Very sexist of you to assume otherwise, if I may say so.
let me remind you/may I remind you (that)
may I trouble you?/sorry to trouble you
may just/might just
may/might/could (just) as well
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And if you have to plough the field anyway, you might as well plant it at the same time.
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And we might as well get used to it and resolve to cope.
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Besides, they cost so much, you might as well get some fun out of them.
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I thought I might just as well come down to the point.
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If the traveler expects the high way to be safe and well-graded, he might as well stay at home.
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It might as well be now.
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She might as well see how the enemy behaved themselves in a place like this.
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While she was there, they might as well have added the charge of breaching the Trades Description Act.
may/might/could well
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As we have already noted, he may well have been a militant nationalist who did not shrink from violence.
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But the women whom they find may well not match their feminist consciousness.
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By and large Alex and I think these developments are likely to give tangible gains and could well become a priority for implementation.
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In addition, the clarification of such issues could well provide the initial stimulus for a whole school language policy.
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It is too early to be entirely sure, but it looks as though the tide may well have turned.
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The requirements may well be modified as detailed work and discussion proceed.
sb may be pardoned for doing sth
to whom it may concern
wherever that is/may be
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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Altering a passport in any way may make it invalid.
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Seven thirty may be too late.
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Thank you, you may go now.
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The Commission may then take one of three actions.
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The king has ordered a festival so that his son may select a bride.
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They may have called when she was in Anaheim.
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Travelers to Qatar may not bring in narcotics or weapons.
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We may not have class the last week of February, but I'll let you know for sure as the time approaches.
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You may now kiss the bride.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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Activities, such as walking, standing, sitting or bending, may have to be learned anew.
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But I got lost in the doing of it, as navigators may , and we went beyond ourselves.
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If you forget to move your turkey from freezer to refrigerator in time, you may thaw the turkey in cold water.
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It may pay to be early at Catford where Dromina Duke looks the part in the second race.
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It will cost hundreds of thousands of pounds, and may have a knock-on effect.
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They also monitor the production run to make sure that it stays on schedule and correct any problems that may arise.
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To deny this power is dangerous, for, suppressed, it will find another outlet and may erupt uncontrollably.
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Worse yet, it may resort to additional expedient action to disguise or defuse the consequences of previous counterproductive actions.