may as well

[enydia]

Hi, teachers.

I'm quite confused about these expression which look very similar:

may well
might well
may as well
might as well
may as well ... as ...
might as well ... as ...

Could you help me?

Thanks in advance.

Enydia

 

[bhaisahab]

Hi, teachers.

I'm quite confused about these expression which look very similar:

may well Use this to indicate that something is quite likely to happen. "The volcano in Iceland may well continue erupting for some days yet".
might well This means more or less the same as "may well".
may as well Use this to say that it would be as good to do something as to not do it. "There is no sign of a bus; we may as well walk, it's not far".
might as well This means the same as above.
may as well ... as ...
might as well ... as ... "We may/might as well walk as wait for the bus".

Could you help me?

Thanks in advance.

Enydia

.

 

[Rainsanctum]

Both "may as well" and "might as well" mean "had better(do sth.)", while the latter ismore polite than the former.

e.g.Since you have such a good job, you might as well keep the present one

Both "may well" and "might well" mean "quite possibly" while the former has a more possibility than the latter.

e.g He may well say so. = He may quite possibly say so.

 

[BobK]

Both "may as well" and "might as well" mean "had better(do sth.)":?:, while the latter is more polite than the former.

e.g.Since you have such a good job, you might as well keep the present one

Both "may well" and "might well" mean "quite possibly" :?:while the former has a more possibility than the latter. I think you mean it suggests a greater degree of possibility or certainty...

e.g He may well say so. = He may quite possibly say so.

What meaning of 'mean' do you have in mind? ;-) In my book, a verb can't mean an adverbial phrase.

Oh, and you should either change your Member Type to 'teacher' (if that's true) or (as I suspect is true) say in your posts that you're not one - and I don't mean either 'you may as well' or 'you might as well' do it; I mean 'you had better' do it (which doesn't mean the same).

b