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Re: [v6ops] Comments on draft-ietf-v6ops-ipv6-ehs-packet-drops-01: "can" vs "may" in English usage.

Fernando Gont <fgont@si6networks.com> Thu, 03 December 2020 19:42 UTC

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To: Fred Baker <fredbaker.ietf@gmail.com>
Cc: Gorry Fairhurst <gorry@erg.abdn.ac.uk>, IPv6 Operations <v6ops@ietf.org>, draft-ietf-v6ops-ipv6-ehs-packet-drops.authors@ietf.org, Fernando Gont <fernando@gont.com.ar>
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From: Fernando Gont <fgont@si6networks.com>
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Date: Thu, 03 Dec 2020 16:29:42 -0300
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Subject: Re: [v6ops] Comments on draft-ietf-v6ops-ipv6-ehs-packet-drops-01: "can" vs "may" in English usage.
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On 3/12/20 14:11, Fred Baker wrote:
> 
> 
>> On Dec 2, 2020, at 9:52 AM, Fernando Gont <fgont@si6networks.com> wrote:
>>
>> ("can" = ability, "may" = possibility)
> 
> I tend to use "can" in the sense of capability, which may correspond to your word "ability". "May", however, is about permission. "You can get get hot water from the kitchen" indicates that hot water is to be found there, and that you have the capability of trotting off there - whether or not you're interested in hot water or have any desire to go to the kitchen. "You may get hot water from the kitchen" gives you permission to go to the kitchen for that purpose.
> 
> Note that this differs from colloquial usage. "Can" is often used in the sense of "may" in common usage ("can I please have some candy?" with the meaning "may I please...?"), which can be very confusing. In written communications, I try to keep theses straight.

Thanks for the note! I will definitely go back to my grammar book and 
try to save everyone's time -- I do remember that the last year I took 
English lessons there was a unit about "need" vs "must" vs "have to" vs 
"may" vs "can" vs "might". I also remember another on "that" vs "which".
Definitely need to check both of these, since I've been getting both of 
them wrong lately :-(

Thanks for the help!

Regards,
-- 
Fernando Gont
SI6 Networks
e-mail: fgont@si6networks.com
PGP Fingerprint: 6666 31C6 D484 63B2 8FB1 E3C4 AE25 0D55 1D4E 7492

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