Negative Question Tags with Modal Auxiliary May
Forming negative question tags following a positive statement with the modal auxiliary may can be tricky. This is because the abbreviated form mayn't is rare and virtually nonexistent in American English. As a result, there is no clearly established way to form such question tags. Some speakers substitute mayn't with mightn't, can't, or won't (when the reference is to the future). For example:
✧ I may inspect the books, mightn't/can't I?
✧ They may be here next week, mightn't/won't they?
Unabbreviated Form in Formal Usage
Alternatively, the unabbreviated form is fully acceptable but is typically limited to formal contexts:
✧ I may inspect the books, may I not?
✧ They may be here next week, may they not?
Challenges with Mayn't
While grammatical rules predict mayn't it? as the informal reversed polarity tag for sentences like It may rain, most speakers do not use this form. Instead, other possibilities include:
- mightn't it?
- won't it?
- The more formal may it not?
- A structurally independent interrogative such as the parenthetical don't you think? or isn't that so?
✧ It may rain, mightn't it?
✧ It may rain, won't it?
✧ It may rain, may it not?
✧ It may rain, don't you think?
✧ It may rain, isn't that so?
Summary
In summary, the use of negative question tags with the modal auxiliary may is not straightforward due to the rarity of mayn't. Speakers often rely on substitutes like mightn't, can't, or won't, or they opt for the unabbreviated form in formal settings. Additionally, independent interrogatives like don't you think? or isn't that so? are commonly used to avoid ambiguity.
