We substitute "may" with "to be allowed to".
| Tense | Modal | Form |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | I may play football. | I am allowed to play football. I'm allowed to play football. |
| Simple Past | Do not use may in the Simple Past. | I was allowed to play football. |
| will-future | Do not use may in the will-future. | I will be allowed to play football. I'll be allowed to play football. |
There are also other tenses possible:
e.g. Present Perfect: I have been allowed to play football.
| Tense | Modal | Form |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | I may not play football. | I am not allowed to play football. |
| Simple Past | Do not use may not in the Simple Past. | I was not allowed to play football. I wasn't allowed to play football. |
| will-future | Do not use may not in the will-future. | I will not be allowed to play football. I won't be allowed to play football. |
| Tense | Modal | Form |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | May he play football. | Is he allowed to play football? |
| Simple Past | Do not use may in the Simple Past. | Was he allowed to play football? |
| will-future | Do not use may in the will-future. | Will he be allowed to play football? |
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