Might Have vs May Have
Difference between might have and may have can be a bit confusing as both speak of possibility. So, you can say that might have and may have are two words that are often confused when it comes to their meanings and applications. It is indeed true that both of them are different in terms of their usage. The form might have indicates the least possibility of something. On the other hand, the form may have indicates the light chance of something happening. This is the main difference between might have and may have. The forms might have and may have are used in the event of expressing some sort of doubt in any sort of happening. The doubt in the mind of the speaker instigates him to use either might have or may have. The speaker, in fact, is not sure of what would have happened.
What does Might Have mean?
Might have is used to indicate the least possibility of something. Observe the two sentences given below.
Francis might have gone home.
Angela might have moved to Austria.
In both the sentences, you can find that the form might have indicates the least possibility. In the first sentence, it indicates the least possibility of Francis going back to his home. In the second sentence, it indicates the least possibility of Angela moving to Austria. This is an important observation to make when it comes to the usage of the form might have.
It is important to note that the form might have is used along with the past participle form of the corresponding verb. As you can see from the sentences given above, the form might have is used along with the past participle forms of ‘go’ and ‘move’ respectively. The past participle forms of ‘go’ and ‘move’ are ‘gone’ and ‘moved’ respectively.
According to the Oxford English dictionary, if the event or situation referred did not in fact occur, it is better to use might have.
The party might have been a blast, but it did not turn out exactly that way.
What does May Have mean?
The form may have indicates the light chance of something happening. Keeping that in mind, observe the two sentences given below.
Albert may have gone home.
Lucy may have moved to Austria.
In both the sentences, you can find that the form may have indicates the light change of something happening. In the first sentence, it indicates that there is a light chance of Albert going back to his home. In the second sentence, it indicates that there is a light chance of Lucy moving to Austria. This is also an important observation to make when it comes to the usage of the form may have.
In the same way as might have, the form may have is also used along with the past participle form of the corresponding verb. As you can find from the sentences given above, the form may have is used along with the past participle forms of ‘go’ and ‘move’ respectively. This is also an important observation to make when it comes to the usage of may have.
What is the difference between Might Have and May Have?
• The form might have indicates the least possibility of something.
• On the other hand, the form may have indicates the light chance of something happening.
• Might have and may have are used with the past participle forms of the verbs.
• If the event or situation referred did not in fact occur, it is better to use might have.
This is the difference between might have and may have.