Maybe vs may be - What's the difference? English In A Minute

Hi, everyone!

What's the difference between

'maybe' and 'may be'?

Well, we're going to find out in this English In A Minute.

'May' is used to express possibility

– usually not a very certain one.

It's a modal verb

so it's always followed by a bare infinitive.

The bare infinitive of 'be' is…

be!

Using the two together, we can make a sentence:

Don't call her. She may be at work!

Now, 'maybe' is just one word.

It's an adverb and it has a few uses.

Most commonly, it means 'perhaps' or 'possibly'.

In this case, it's often the first word in the sentence.

Don't' call her. Maybe she's at work!

However, put it in front of an amount

to mean 'around' or 'approximately'.

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