Since we’ve already discussed the meaning of the word “can,” the common “can” vs. “may” confusion is a reasonable error to examine next.Picture yourself in seventh grade English class. You’re excited that Julie’s boring oral book report on Bridge to Terabithia is almost over. You want to grab the bathroom pass like it’s nobody’s business and stroll the middle school hallways for at least one more presentation.
“Mr. Jones, can I have the bathroom pass?” you ask, as you rise from your seat-desk combination.
“Yes; you can,” Mr. Jones replies without looking up from his notes. He quickly continues, “Okay, who’s next? Matthew, it’s your turn to present now.”
Matthew walks to the front of the room and begins rambling about Of Mice and Men.
The bathroom pass is still hanging on the nail next to Mr. Jones’ desk.
“What? Why didn’t Mr. Jones give me the pass?” you think as you look around the room awkwardly before you slump back down in your chair.
Of course, you can have the bathroom pass. You have the ability to possess it. (Remember, “can” and “able”). Mr. Jones felt, however, that you may not gain possession of the coveted item at that time.
Can
My third grade teacher was an advocate of the “I Can” attitude. You have the ability to do anything. On the first day of class, we decorated actual cans that had a big letter “I” glued onto them. An “I May” attitude is not as powerful.
May
“May,” besides a beautiful spring month, is a word used to express “possibility, intention, or permission.”
In the seventh-grade-bathroom scenario, you needed to ask permission to receive the bathroom pass; you asked for the ability to receive the bathroom pass by using the word “can.”
If you had asked, “May I have the bathroom pass?” then you would have already been romping down the hallway.
Fortunately, you did not need to actually use the bathroom. You just wanted to skip class. And if you skip the step of proofreading your text, you leave your document vulnerable to displaying this error.
About the Author: Stefanie Flaxman corrects business, marketing, and educational documents in 24 hours to eliminate reputation-crushing mistakes from your writing. She's a professional proofreader and the founder of Revision Fairy® Small Business Proofreading Services. Connect with Stefanie on Twitter.
My third grade teacher was an advocate of the “I Can” attitude. You have the ability to do anything. On the first day of class, we decorated actual cans that had a big letter “I” glued onto them. An “I May” attitude is not as powerful.
May
“May,” besides a beautiful spring month, is a word used to express “possibility, intention, or permission.”
In the seventh-grade-bathroom scenario, you needed to ask permission to receive the bathroom pass; you asked for the ability to receive the bathroom pass by using the word “can.”
If you had asked, “May I have the bathroom pass?” then you would have already been romping down the hallway.
Fortunately, you did not need to actually use the bathroom. You just wanted to skip class. And if you skip the step of proofreading your text, you leave your document vulnerable to displaying this error.
About the Author: Stefanie Flaxman corrects business, marketing, and educational documents in 24 hours to eliminate reputation-crushing mistakes from your writing. She's a professional proofreader and the founder of Revision Fairy® Small Business Proofreading Services. Connect with Stefanie on Twitter.
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