Can vs. May: Very few got yesterdays challenge correct. Even those who gave C as the answer (either of the above) tended to think it was an ambiguous sentence that could require either can (indicating ability) or may (indicating permission). Several of you were adamant that can is only appropriate when the question is asking about possibility and that when asking permission, only may is appropriate. Like most of you, I was taught the same distinction and accepted it as an inviolable rule of English. But just a little research shows this is not the case. Can indicating permission is not just a bad habit of young children and the uneducated. It has been in use since at least the late 1800s in print and for the past 50 years has been at least as common as may in publications. Every recently-published guide, including Fowlers, Garners, American Heritage, and Merriam-Websters show that can for permission is common and accepted. Every dictionary lists the permission definition of can. Most of these published authorities indicate that may is considered both more polite and more formal. But it is not incorrect to ask for permission using can. You may prefer may of course, and you should encourage it with your children and students as more polite. But the rule that says can is for ability and may is for permission has no foundation. There is no good reason to be dogmatic about the distinction.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Nov 2014 14:32:02 +0000