Date:  Tue, 19 Mar 1996 23:17:59 -0700

From:  Rudy Troike <RTROIKE[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]CCIT.ARIZONA.EDU>

Subject: May/Might : epistemics and tense



Larry,

    Many thanks for the examples and clarification. A complicating issue

I'd like to see your comments on is that your (1) and (3) both contain a

past tense in the main clause, while (2) and (4) are present tense. There is

thus a tense (time?) conflict which seems also needing to be taken into

account.

    (1) He might have won but he didn't.

    (2) #He may have won but he didn't.

    (3) It was possible for him to win but he didn't.

    (4) #It is possible that he won but he didn't.



Note the differences in readings of <might> in:



    (5) He might have won, but just hasn't heard yet.

    (6) He might have won, if Clinton hadn't run against him.

    (7) He may have won, but just hasn't heard yet.

    (8) *He may have won, if Clinton hadn't run against him.



Thanks for raising the discussion above the anecdotal level, and giving us

some principled reasons to think about.

    Rudy

--Rudy Troike (rtroike[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]ccit.arizona.edu)