English Grammar: MAYBE or MAY BE 🤔 Learn The Difference and Boost Your English Skills 🔥Light Quiz!

Ajouté : 2026-05-05

[00:00:00]Do you know that when you join may and be together to form a word, they mean something different? After this video, you understand the difference between maybe and maybe. With these questions, you will know exactly when to use them in sentences. Okay? This may be joined together functions as adverb in a sentence.

[00:00:26]Why this may be separated function as a verb phrase.

[00:00:36]May is a model verb while be is a main verb.

[00:00:48]So together they form a verb phrase. Now there are other things you need to know about them. As we answer these questions, I will explain further. Okay.

[00:00:58]One, he blank sleeping already.

[00:01:02]Here we have a verb sleeping. Now the maybe we will use here is the one that comes after a subject. This is a subject of the sentence he.

[00:01:15]And the maybe that comes after a subject is this one, the separated one, the verb phrase. So this maybe comes after the subject.

[00:01:31]Therefore we use this.

[00:01:36]He may be sleeping already. So here it is functioning as a verb phrase.

[00:01:46]Two, your phone blank in your bag. Here we do not have any verb at all and for a sentence to be complete there must be a verb. So we have to use the maybe that functions as a verb which is this.

[00:02:06]So now the sentence is complete because we have introduced verb. Your phone may be in your bag. Verb phrase three blank. It's just a joke. This is a complete sentence. There's a verb in it already. Do you know the verb? We have it.

[00:02:29]It means it is.

[00:02:33]Is is a verb. So, this makes the sentence complete. That means what we need here is not the maybe that functions as a verb. Rather we need the one that functions as an adverb which also replaces perhaps in a sentence. In other words, this maybe replaces perhaps in a sentence.

[00:02:56]Perhaps means possibly you are uncertain about something. So this maybe is correct.

[00:03:07]The one joined together. Maybe it's just a joke. So anywhere perhaps can fit in this maybe is correct to use. Okay. Four blank. The results will be announced later. Here we have a complete sentence, right? The results will be announced later. We already have our verb here.

[00:03:33]This is a verb phrase will be announced.

[00:03:37]The maybe to be used in this sentence is the one that functions as an adverb which is this.

[00:03:46]Maybe the results will be announced later. Five. They blank at the office.

[00:03:52]We need a verb in this sentence to make it complete. So the maybe we will use is the one that functions as a verb, a verb phrase, which is this, the separated one. They may be at the office. So the may here is a verb. Six blank. Further investigation is required. Is this a complete sentence? Yes, further investigations is required. The sentence is complete. We already have the verb is. So we need the maybe that will function as an adverb here which is the one joined together.

[00:04:42]Maybe further investigation is required.

[00:04:46]Perhaps further investigation is required. Possibly further investigation is required. So this is an adverb.

[00:04:59]Seven. The report blank incomplete. Is this a complete sentence? No. So we have to introduce the maybe that functions as a verb in order to make the sentence complete. Okay. So maybe is correct. The report may be incomplete. Verb phrase eight. This delay blank caused by supply issues. We already have a verb here cost. But this verb needs another verb to stand properly. So we have to introduce the maybe that functions as a verb. This delay may be caused by supply issues. So this is functioning as a verb in this sentence.

[00:05:56]Also remember that we said this may be which is separated must come after the subject in the sentence. This is a subject in this sentence. Nine blank we can negotiate a better deal. What is the verb here? Can negotiate? It does not need maybe to complete the meaning. That means the maybe we need in this sentence is the one that functions as an adverb which is this the one joined together. So here it is functioning as an adverb which can be replaced with the word perhaps.

[00:06:42]10 the figures blank incorrect in the report. I'll leave this one for you to answer in the comment section. If you learned something from this video, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe for more interesting grammar lessons.

[00:06:57]Thank you for watching.