"May be" versus "Maybe"
In a series of posts Virtus will provide tips and advice covering many aspects of publishing. This series will be an ongoing selection of language tips, covering areas that many authors find difficult or confusing. These will be short and to the point.
Virtus Publishing Language Tip #8: “May be” versus “Maybe”
Often there is confusion regarding usage of “may be” versus “maybe,” resulting in incorrect sentences like these:
That maybe a good move.
May be it’ll rain.
Let’s take a closer look at these and refer to Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary for definitions. I am confining the definitions here to those that apply to this context. The end of the quoted material is denoted by a box (∎).
may
verb
1 archaic: have the ability or competence to: can
2 a: have permission to
<you may go now>
2 b: be in some degree likely to
<you may be right>
maybe
adverb
: possibly but not surely: not certainly: perhaps
Synonyms:
conceivably, perhaps, mayhap, perchance, possibly
∎
Let’s look at an example of each.
The photo at the top shows a cliff overlooking the Snake River, which is a VERY steep drop.
In this case one could say
It may be a good idea to stay away from the edge.
In this case we are applying definition 2 b from above: “be in some degree likely to.” Since it is likely to be a safer idea to stay away from the edge, we say it “may be.”
Note: Remember from our discussions concerning “may” versus “might,” that “may” implies something that is likelier to happen or be true (see Virtus Language Tip #7).
Let’s look at another example.
The clouds are rolling in: it may be a good idea to pull off the road before the rain.
Now let’s look at the correct use of “maybe.” For the same situation shown above, we could say
There’s no one on the road. Maybe we’ll get there before it starts to rain.
Let’s look at another two examples, using both “may be” and “maybe”” There’s an interesting lizard that is specific to a place I once visited, called an “Earless bleached lizard.”
Upon seeing this creature, one could say this:
Look! I think that may be an earless bleached lizard!
Or, to express the same idea one could say this:
Look! Maybe that’s an earless bleached lizard!
It is very important for both authors and editors to understand the distinction between the two examples.
Keep these definitions and examples in mind when making any changes related to these words.
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