two phrases

English translation: You may want to

11:47 Mar 30, 2012

English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
Social Sciences - Linguistics / usage of 'may'

English term or phrase: two phrases

In understand that it is correct to say:

You may you want to consistently use small letters when translating the days of the week, as you do it further on in the text. (Please, do not be suprised as to 'small letters' with the days of the week).

BUT can you say:

Throughout the whole text MAY YOU want to consistently use small letters when translating the days of the week, as you do it further on in the text.

or MAY needs to be used as:

Throughout the whole text you MAY want to consistently use small letters when translating the days of the week, as you do it further on in the text.

lafresita (X) KudoZ activity Questions: 779 (1 open) (1 without valid answers) (9 closed without grading) Answers: 1541 United Kingdom
Local time: 15:54

Selected answer:You may want to

Explanation:
As far as I can tell, the only correct sentence in your query is the final one.

The first one has repetition: You may you want...

The second has the subject-verb inverted, in question format: May you want...

The third is correct: You may want.

I am not commenting on the actual content or meaning of these sentences, only the placement of the word "may" in them.

HTH

Selected response from:

NancyLynn
Canada
Local time: 10:54

Grading comment

Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

3 +4

You may want to

NancyLynn

4 +2

you may want to

Charles Davis

Discussion entries: 4

Answers

16 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

May

You may want to

NancyLynn
Canada
Local time: 10:54
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 26

Grading comment

Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

18 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

you may want to

Explanation:
Leaving aside the question of "small letters" raised by Jenni, and confining ourselves to the correct use of "may", it is correct in the last of the passages in your question but not in the first two. I should also say that quite a lot of people regard the "split infinitive" of "to consistently use" as wrong, though I think it is acceptable.

3. You may want to use: correct
1. You may you want to use: incorrect (though I suspect the second "you", which makes this incorrect, is a typo)
2. May you want to use: incorrect

In short, you cannot invert subject and verb like this in an affirmative statement. At least not in this case. You can say, for example, "Only recently have I come to realise that...", and there are other cases where you can, but this is not one of them.

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Note added at 20 mins (2012-03-30 12:08:09 GMT)
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Nancy has given the same answer before me. But I just wanted to add this reference, to a useful little guide to when you can or must invert subject and verb in English:
http://www.testmagic.com/grammar/explanations/inversion.htm

Charles Davis
Spain
Local time: 16:54
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 72

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