Can is about ability and possibility, may is about polite permission and probability. In requests both work: Can I sit here? is ordinary, May I sit here? is more polite and formal. But when you talk about something that might happen, you need may: It may rain tonight.
can or may — can you pick the right one?
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can + verb (ability, possibility); Can/May I + verb? (request); may + verb (probability); may not + verb (might not happen)
- My sister can speak three languages, but she can't drive.
- May I ask a question about the second slide?
- The shop may be closed on Sunday, so let's call first.
What changed
First versionTake an umbrella, it can rain this afternoon.
RevisionTake an umbrella, it may rain this afternoon.
It's tempting to use can for anything that's possible. But for a specific event that might happen today, you say may or might. One word changed: can became may.
Can can also be about probability, but in general terms, in the sense of “this sometimes happens”: Winters here can be very cold. That's about the climate in general. For a particular winter or tomorrow's weather: This winter may be colder than usual.
Your turn
Look at those dark clouds. We ___ get wet on the way home.
Show the answer
may — This is a specific possibility right now: dark clouds, the way home. That needs may: we might get wet. Can would describe what happens in general, and it isn't used in a forecast for today.
Write a polite request to a teacher or colleague using may, and explain why you need it.
Mr Davies, may I leave ten minutes early today? I need to pick up my son from school.
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