Comments on: Maybe or May be – What is the difference?

By: May the odds be ever in your favor | Woodward English

May the odds be ever in your favor | Woodward English — Thu, 04 Dec 2014 15:31:22 +0000

[…] It may be… (not It may to be…) You may want to check out the difference between May be and Maybe. […]

By: luis

luis — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 12:55:34 +0000

hey josh! hi… maybe and may be …for me “maybe” express a possibility whether something is or not and “may be” wants to say that something probably is!
if you want to know wich one to use just ask you what is the action in your sentence (the verb) maybe needs a verb and may be has already a verb (“to be”) examples
A.-she may be (if you put a verb now, it must go in the ing form) eating now *(as I said before, that sentence means that the person is probably eating)
B.- she IS (here you have the verb to be again) maybe eating *(now the sentence means that she could be eating but could be not eating also… it’s something uncertainly said)
well, that’s what I tell to my self at the moment of choosing which one to use

By: Ibbi

Ibbi — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 13:23:52 +0000

In reply to woodward. But that would still make no sense as the phrase "may perhaps be" would also fit into there.

By: Muhammad Ahmad Bilal

Muhammad Ahmad Bilal — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 19:29:32 +0000

It was really very helpful. Thanks A lot

By: Josh

Josh — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 06:59:18 +0000

This still is not clear to me

Maybe = perhaps
May be = is possibly

Perhaps according to Webster means possibly but not certainly

So it still not clear can you eleborate

By: woodward

woodward — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:48:03 +0000

In reply to Donald McLachlan. Yes, that is another way to do it if you still have a doubt. Thanks Donald.

By: Donald McLachlan

Donald McLachlan — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 19:05:10 +0000

Based on the above text I would suggest when in doubt as to whether to use “maybe” or “may be”, try inserting “may possibly be”. If it parses correctly use “may be”, otherwise use maybe.

correct?

By: woodward

woodward — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 21:06:20 +0000

In reply to sweetangieb. Exactly and you are right, it needs a comma then something else such as the "they are necessary." that you mention.

By: sweetangieb

sweetangieb — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 17:00:49 +0000

In reply to woodward.

The first sentence would not make sense if you put the the maybe first.

“Although maybe changes risky and not widely accepted.”

This shows that may be in this case is the verb and not the adverb.

You couldn’t really put maybe into this sentence as it just does not go in the middle and even first because there is that “although” there. Try replacing it with perhaps top test where it should be.

“Perhaps. Although changes could be risky and not widely accepted… (also this sentence is not complete and since it is started with “although” there needs to be a follow up)…they are necessary.”

By: woodward

woodward — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:23:11 +0000

In reply to Shawne.

Hi,
The second sentence is correct.
“Although changes may be risky and not widely accepted”
Do you (or anyone) know why?

By: Shawne

Shawne — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 14:04:44 +0000

Good day,

Which is the correct way to write may be for part of this sentence:

“Although changes maybe risky and not widely accepted”

“Although changes may be risky and not widely accepted”

By: Navin

Navin — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 08:21:05 +0000

Thank you so much. This is as simple as it gets.