may vs. can for permission

Pash   Mon Oct 09, 2006 10:46 am GMT
Do you, personally, use "may" to give your own permission and "can" to tell a person that, for example, another authority permits smoking at that time and place?
Student   Mon Oct 09, 2006 2:31 pm GMT
Yes, mostly because I *can't* go to the bathroom if I don't use the word *may* to ask for permission: if one asketh the teacher permission by saying: "Can I go to the bathroom?" he just says: "Yes, I think you can, but you may not, because you used the word 'can'."

After an education like that one learneth quickly to speak correctly.
Pete from Peru   Mon Oct 09, 2006 4:26 pm GMT
Both can be used for permission. I'll put some examples, here you are:

Can I go to the bathroom?
Could I go to the bathroom?
May I go to the bathroom?

All of them are used and understood, unless someone is trying to pe pretentious or something.

By the way if you ask for the bathroom in England, They may show you into a room with a bath, possibly a washbasin as well. However, you may find no toilet... So there, you should better ask for the "toilet" or the "lavatory".

Pete
Pete   Mon Oct 09, 2006 4:29 pm GMT
<<...trying to pe pretentious or something.>>

That should be: trying to be pretentious or something.
Pos   Tue Oct 10, 2006 7:55 am GMT
<if one asketh the teacher permission by saying: "Can I go to the bathroom?" he just says: "Yes, I think you can, but you may not, because you used the word 'can'."
>

Do you think teacher's still do that?
M56   Tue Oct 10, 2006 9:44 am GMT
"Teachers", Pos.
Student   Tue Oct 10, 2006 2:07 pm GMT
>>
Do you think teacher's still do that? <<

They most certainly do.
M56   Tue Oct 10, 2006 2:15 pm GMT
<They most certainly do. >

Poor teachers then.
Jim   Wed Oct 11, 2006 12:53 am GMT
"After an education like that one learneth quickly to speak correctly."

... Ilke thou hath?

I'd usually just use "can" but sometimes I'll use "may". It really doesn't matter to me who's giving or asking for permission.
Rene   Wed Oct 11, 2006 4:24 pm GMT
Like "Student" i've had that can, may experience with teachers more than once and am now totally in the habit of using may in almost every situation.
Guest   Wed Oct 11, 2006 9:15 pm GMT
>> ... Ilke thou hath? <<

Nope it should be "thou hast"

Hath is for the 3rd person: he hath
M56   Wed Oct 11, 2006 9:33 pm GMT
<Like "Student" i've had that can, may experience with teachers more than once and am now totally in the habit of using may in almost every situation. >

That's unfortunate,
Jim   Wed Oct 11, 2006 11:46 pm GMT
"thou hast" you're right. Looks like it's back to school for the likes of me.
Mary   Thu Oct 12, 2006 8:08 am GMT
M56: That's unfortunate.

You think *that's* unfortunate? You should have been there when a professor asked me if he "should send an assistant in case I experienced difficulties using the lavatories." I learned my lesson.
Rene   Thu Oct 12, 2006 3:20 pm GMT
Ouch Mary, that must have been really embarassing!