How to use 'may'

In English, the word ‘may’ is generally used in two quite distinct ways:
1) to give permission:

• “You may leave when you have finished typing the document” {= “you have permission to leave when you have finished typing the document”]
• “Candidates may bring a calculator into the exam” [= “Candidates have permission to bring a calculator into the exam”]

2) to express the possibility of something happening (generally when we use ‘may’ like this, we communicate the idea that something is not very likely to happen, or we are not very sure about it):

• “It may rain tomorrow” [= “it is possible that it will rain tomorrow”]
• “She may not like the new uniform” [= “it is possible that she will not like the new uniform”]

It is important to keep these two uses of ‘may’ quite separate. In a sentence, ‘may’ should either be used to give permission, or to communicate the idea of possibility. It can’t do both at once.
However, in Hong Kong English, some speakers mix up these two uses of ‘may’.

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