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Jimcats
10-13-2012, 07:37 PM
Here among you writer types I want to pose a question. If you were trying to explain to a foreigner studying English, how would you spell out the difference between "maybe" and "may be" other than saying one has a space and the other doesn't?

badrose
10-13-2012, 09:12 PM
A preference, no difference.

bigsky
10-13-2012, 10:41 PM
Well it may be that the distinction is hard to make, but maybe I will try. In the former the word "be" remains a verb, qualified by a less than certain "may". In the latter, the "maybe" is one word, not a verb.

Catfan73
10-14-2012, 01:11 AM
I think 'maybe' is used more often as an answer between yes and no, as in "Will Joker resign soon?" "Maybe."

'May be' is used more often to describe what something might be, as in "Is Joker a football coach?" "He may be, but it's debatable."

elicat
10-15-2012, 08:04 AM
I think 'maybe' is used more often as an answer between yes and no, as in "Will Joker resign soon?" "Maybe."

'May be' is used more often to describe what something might be, as in "Is Joker a football coach?" "He may be, but it's debatable."

I agree. Separating them emphasizes the ambiguity.