TOEIC Part 5 Anchor Drill

TOEIC Part 5 May vs Might Anchor Drill

Both choices can describe possibility. Do not choose by assigning each word a fixed probability. Find the sentence purpose: permission or an authorised option, or a more tentative, hypothetical or imagined result.

Permission, approval or an expressly allowed option = may
Hypothetical condition, imagined past result or more tentative possibility = might
Both forms may be grammatically possible, so use the strongest visible signal.

Choose may

Look for policy, approval, authorisation, contractual rights or a clearly available option. The sentence tells someone what is permitted rather than estimating an uncertain result.

Choose might

Look for an unreal or hypothetical condition: if, had, were or without. The result is imagined, conditional or presented more tentatively.

Check the purpose

Everyday English allows overlap. TOEIC needs a visible anchor. Decide whether the sentence grants permission or explores what could happen under a condition.

Find what the sentence is doing

Do not stop at the idea of “possibility”. Tap the phrase that shows whether the sentence grants an option or sets up an imagined or conditional result.

may signals: under the policy, with approval, as permitted, the agreement allows and other formal permission language.

might signals: if costs rose, had the shipment arrived later, were demand to fall and without the backup system.

final check: ask, “Is this an authorised action, or an imagined result?” Choose from that purpose, not from a memorised percentage.

Under the travel policy, employees ___ request reimbursement for approved business expenses.

Answer: may

Under the travel policy is the anchor. The sentence grants formal permission.

If material costs rose again, the project ___ exceed its current budget.

Answer: might

If material costs rose again is the anchor. The result depends on a hypothetical future condition.

Without the backup generator, the warehouse ___ have lost power during yesterday's storm.

Answer: might

Without the backup generator is the anchor. The sentence imagines a past result that did not occur.

Start the Anchor Drill

The drill contains 2 untimed Warm-Up questions, 5 timed Anchor Drill questions and 5 timed New Context questions.

After the drill

What your result shows

Your result shows whether you can identify the sentence purpose under time pressure. In Review, check whether the sentence grants permission or an authorised option or presents a tentative, hypothetical or imagined result. Do not rely on a fixed probability rule.

If you missed may

Look for policy, approval, authorisation, contractual rights or language showing that an action is expressly permitted.

If you missed might

Look for an unreal condition or imagined result: if, had, were, without or another phrase that makes the result conditional.

If both felt possible

That overlap is normal in everyday English. TOEIC needs a visible signal. Use the strongest sentence purpose rather than inventing a precise difference in probability.

Use Review in this order: check the correct answer, locate the anchor, identify whether it grants permission or sets up a hypothetical result, and then read the reusable pattern.

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