Let’s talk possibilities, shall we?

There’s ‘maybe.’

And there is ‘may be.’

Both refer to possibilities.
Both are different.

Here’s a simple way to use the words.

Use ‘maybe’ when you mean ‘possibly.’ (single word)

Use ‘may be’ when you mean ‘might be.’ (two words)

Let’s look at a few examples:

1. Maybe five more people will register for my course.

Five more people may be registering for my course.

2. Thanks for inviting me. Maybe I can make a quick visit to the art gallery.

Thanks for inviting me. I may be able to make a quick visit to the art gallery.

3. Maybe a library is a better idea.

A library may be a better idea.

In each sentence, see which works better; possibly or might be.

You’ll also notice that the sentence structure changes a little – not the meaning – when you change the word(s).