aashishchawla wrote:
1)Can somebody explain the usage difference between "maybe" and "may be"
2)there are many rumours about "maybe" in many gmat forums
that its usage is banned in gmat.
so if you see "maybe" in any answer choice. just cross it. because its unidiomatic
Is it true ?
3) if possible please explain the following words in their usage as well and difference in their usage
"probably",may be","maybe",and"perhaps"
Hi
aashishchawla,
Maybe vs.
May BeThe most obvious difference between
maybe and
may be is that
maybe is an adverb, which means that it’s modifying a verb/adjective/another adverb, and it means “perhaps” or “potentially”.
May be is a verb phrase that implies that something is possible.
The biggest difference is in the part of speech of the phrase. May be will always modify a noun, while maybe modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb.
Maybe no one will come to the party.
In speaking, we sometimes use maybe at the end of what we say when we are making a suggestion which we are not very certain about:
There’s something wrong with my PC. I can’t load my photos.
It could be a virus,
maybe.
In speaking, we can use maybe as a response when we agree that something is possible:
Ronnie and Linda are going to leave New Zealand in January.
Why? I thought they were very happy there.
I’m not sure. Perhaps they feel a bit lonely.
Maybe.
We can also use maybe to express uncertainty in response to a suggestion:
Would you like to have chicken curry for dinner?
Maybe.
In the phrase may be may is a modal verb and be is a main or auxiliary verb. Here may and be are two separate words, whereas maybe is one word.
There
may be a train at 10.00am.
He
may be waiting for us.
Finally, we use may as a modal verb in the phrase may be. They are two separate words. We use maybe as an adverb:
This
may be the last match that he plays for Barcelona.
Perhaps is more formal and
maybe is more casual.
Perhaps is common in academic writing.
Maybe is common in conversation.
Use "
probably" to say that something has a high chance of happening - 50% or greater.
Use "
possibly" to say that something has a low chance of happening - 50% or less.
Use either "
maybe" or "
perhaps" to say that something has an equal chance of happening or not happening.
'
Maybe', '
Perhaps' & '
Possibly' are synonyms each to the others.
They mean 'by chance'.
Whereas, '
Probably' means 'with considerable certainty' or 'without much doubt'.
When one uses '
probably', one generally has some evidence to back his deduction.
In
OG Verbal 2018, I have found word "
perhaps" 18 times and in
OG 2018 14 times, word "maybe" doesn't appear at all.
However, verb phrase
may be appears 129. times in
OG 2018 and 75. times in
OG Verbal 2018 !
I think all this above answers your questions in full