Madam, - You were kind enough to publish recently (April 26th) a letter I wrote suggesting it is wrong to let may displace might when offering speculative alternatives to what actually happened in the past.
I had thought this solecism was confined to hard-pressed sub-editors who, when writing headings, tended to neglect grammar as they cast around for a telling pun. Now I see the blight has spread up the line - to the person who expressed your opinion (if it was not your good self) in the Editorial "Bertie Ahern's years" (May 7th): "This development [i.e. coalition of extremes in Belfast] may not have happened without. . .Mr Ahern".
When I wrote that this error had been blooming lately, I should have added the warning that this is what bloomers do. (Puns are not the worst!) Please extirpate the misused may from your columns, as the literary equivalent of thistles, ragwort and dock. - Yours, etc,
MICHAEL DRURY,
Avenue Louise,
Brussels,
Belgium.