TextRanch

The best way to perfect your writing.

Discover why 1,062,726 users count on TextRanch to get their English corrected!

1. Input your text below.
2. Get it corrected in a few minutes by our editors.
3. Improve your English!

One of our experts will correct your English.

they may be only vs they may only be

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'They may be only' is used when 'only' is emphasizing the verb 'be,' while 'they may only be' is used when 'only' is emphasizing the state or condition of 'be.' The placement of 'only' changes the emphasis and meaning of the sentence.

Last updated: March 15, 2024 • 2800 views

they may be only

This phrase is correct and is used when 'only' is emphasizing the verb 'be.'

This phrase is used when 'only' is highlighting the verb 'be' in the sentence. It implies that the possibility of them being something else is low.

Examples:

They may be only pretending to be interested.
They may be only a few minutes away.
They may be only children, but they are very intelligent.
They may be only trying to help.
They may be only temporary employees.

Show examples from the web [+]

When they first develop, they may be only a tenth of a millimeter in diameter and almost flat, appearing as small red dots. However, they then usually grow to ...
Ranging in color from bright red to purple, they may be only a tenth of a millimeter in diameter and almost flat when they first develop, appearing as small red ...
Advantages: Many urgent-care centers charge about the same as or a little more than a health care provider's office, but they may be only half the cost of the ...
Programs include drop-in centers, clubhouses and job clubs. They may be only run by consumers, or they may be run in partnership with professional programs.

Alternatives:

They may only be pretending to be interested.
They may only be a few minutes away.
They may only be children, but they are very intelligent.
They may only be trying to help.
They may only be temporary employees.

they may only be

This phrase is correct and is used when 'only' is emphasizing the state or condition of 'be.'

This phrase is used when 'only' is highlighting the state or condition of 'be' in the sentence. It implies that the possibility of them having other attributes or qualities is low.

Examples:

They may only be happy if they win.
They may only be successful if they work hard.
They may only be satisfied with the best.
They may only be available on weekends.
They may only be seen at night.

Show examples from the web [+]

They may only be 5cms long but these bright hatchlings sure know how to stand out. Tiny chameleons make big impression at Taronga Zoo. A BATCH of tiny ...
They may only be used in ADA stalls by the registered owner or when the registered owner is a passenger. A valid CSU Parking and Transportation Services ...
Teens may request to be transferred; however, they may only be granted in special circumstances. If a teen has a problem at their work site, they should contact ...
The United States does not allow private individuals to keep native owls as pets-- they may only be possessed by trained, licensed individuals while being ...

Alternatives:

They may be happy only if they win.
They may be successful only if they work hard.
They may be satisfied only with the best.
They may be available only on weekends.
They may be seen only at night.

Related Comparisons

What Our Customers Are Saying

Our customers love us! We have an average rating of 4.79 stars based on 283,125 votes.
Also check out our 2,100+ reviews on TrustPilot (4.9).

"Thank you!"
Sachi Nakama July 2024
"I have literally been through chat, PI, claude, bard and bing and I got conflicting answers! Thank you! Human intelligence reigns!"
Retha July 2024
"Faster than AI"
CYNTHIA December 2023
"This was very helpful and I personally think this site is the best."
Kaden October 2023
"It was extremely thorough and very helpful!"
imperialelisa October 2023
"7 years without any disappointment. Always 100% satisfied. You guys are the best in the world at what you do. Thank you so much :)"
Zubair Alam October 2023
"In a world of text messages and online communication, this is great to have as a live tool. Thank you."
Selena October 2023
"Without textranch I would be stuck!"
宏祐 October 2023
"Accuracy and fast response. Personal comments from editor. Thank you."
Clh September 2023
"I wasn't aware of this service, it's fascinating and more reliable than standard IA tools available on the internet"
Arturo September 2023
"The fact that you can get reliable fast feedback on your texts."
Vinicius Antonio August 2023
"you guys are better than grammarly i'm being honest here"
ordinary July 2023
"OMG! This is really good than any other text correction tools I've used so far. Highly recommend this."
Vehan July 2023
"Very fast and accurate. thank you."
mojtaba July 2023
"I love this app because it's help to writing skills all of students ♥️"
Tarisini July 2023
"This was exactly the mistake I was looking for, the wording dind´t sound right at first. Better than grammarly!"
Ente July 2023
"The immediate help that I received was reassuring and very satisfactory. Thanks."
priiiyanshuu July 2023
"this helps A LOT for my studies."
kathnunez02 June 2023
"Woow!! I would never have expected such precision! Thank you soooo much!!"
Berta June 2023
"Real Time Editor and not AI. Many Thanks."
Priya June 2023
"The very first thing excites me about Textranch is how much your editors care."
sepideh June 2023
"The fact that texts are checked by human editors rather than by AI, etc. I appreciate this!"
Анна June 2023
"Feel welcome, immediate response, high quality feedback"
martin.roy June 2023
"This is the best app that I have ever seen"
Burulai May 2023

Why choose TextRanch?

Lowest prices
Up to 50% lower than other online editing sites.

Fastest Times
Our team of editors is working for you 24/7.

Qualified Editors
Native English experts for UK or US English.

Top Customer Service
We are here to help. Satisfaction guaranteed!