Question Mary may not be[/stay/be staying] at home now
- Thread starter hirashin
- Start date
No, I don't think so. A sounds like the possibility of being at home or not, B sounds like giving permission to stay at home or not. C sounds a bit strange with "at home" but if you said "Mary may not be staying at the hotel not" it would sound like it was referring to possibility again.
- 6 Mar 2003
- 9,319
- 9,449
No I don't think so either.
(a) Mary may not be at home now.
=> She's probably not at home now.
(b) Mary may not stay at home now.
(c) Mary may not be staying at home now.
=> She might stop living at home from now on. (Maybe she had a big fight with her Dad.)
(a) Mary may not be at home now.
=> She's probably not at home now.
(b) Mary may not stay at home now.
(c) Mary may not be staying at home now.
=> She might stop living at home from now on. (Maybe she had a big fight with her Dad.)
