Using 'Can' in clear language for dummies. Modal verb can (could)

Modal verb can is one of the most used modal verbs in the English language. It has the meaning of ability or ability, both physical and mental. It can be used to express a request, permission or prohibition, and probability or improbability.

For example:
I can ride a horse.
I I can ride a horse. ( Expresses ability.)

We can stay with my brother when we are in Paris.
When we are in Paris, we Can stay with my brother. ( Expresses possibility.)

She cannot stay out after 10 pm.
She can not walk after 10 pm. (Expresses prohibition.)

Can you hand me the stapler?
Not can can you pass me the stapler? ( Expresses a request.)

Any child can grow up to be president.
Any child Maybe grow up and become president. ( Expresses probability.)

Using the modal verb can in the present, past and future tenses

In most cases, the use of modal verbs in the past and future tenses is different from other verbs. The table below shows use of a modal verb can in different situations.

Sometimes verb can can be used in a negative and interrogative form to express a small, doubtful probability, as well as annoyance and bewilderment, as, for example, in the last two sentences of the above table (It can"t cost more than a dollar or two. and You can"t be 45! I thought you were about 18 years old.)

For example:
Can he have gone?
Really he left? (= Can't be so that he leaves.)

In the same cases, modal can be used verb could, For example:

She can"t (= couldn't) have said it.
She I could not to say this. (= Can't be for her to say it.)

Also verbs can And could can be used with verbs of feeling and perception ( see, smell, taste, understand, feel, hear etc.) to give a hint of effort in performing an action expressed by a semantic verb. When translated into Russian, the modal meaning is not emphasized.

For example:
Can you see that house?
See this house?

Can you hear that strange noise?
You do you hear this strange noise?

Modal verbs are a new concept for Russian speakers and, starting to study them, you should clarify for yourself what type of words they are and how they differ from ordinary verbs:

This is a small group of words that do not denote an action, but only the possibility, admissibility, likelihood or necessity of performing some action

Action:
She writes poems. — She writes poems.

Probability of action:
She can write poems. — She can write poems. Modal verbs express not action, but the possibility of action

1. The modal verb comes before the semantic verb and, together with it, forms a complex verbal predicate.
   • He must work a lot if he wants to become a good specialist. — He must work hard if he wants to become a good specialist
2. The verb after the modal is always in the infinitive form, but in most cases without the infinitive particle -to
   • You may take my laptop. — You can borrow my laptop
3. They do not need negative and interrogative sentence types in the auxiliary verb. Negation and question are constructed using the modal words themselves.
   • May I take your copybook? — Can I borrow your notebook?
     Yes, you may.- Yes you can
   • I can't translate these quotes into English. — I can't translate these expressions into English
4. In the Present Simple tense in the third person they do not have the typical ending -s.
   • She must make a choice. -
   • She must make a choice

What to choose - may or can?

The topic of modal verbs cannot be called difficult, but among them there are pairs of words with the “identical” translation into Russian. Such pairs of words, of course, have certain semantic connotations in the English language, which determine their use. Today we will look at one of these difficult pairs of verbs:
may-can — be able

Use can or may very often a difficulty for beginners, although their translation seems to be no different. However, I think that after studying this table, you will realize that there are clear differences between them that are not so difficult to remember. Why is it so important to deal with this? Because exactly can And may are among the most frequently used in the English language.

Modal verb can- expresses mental or physical ability. Indicates that the actor has the strength to perform the action

• I can read in Russian, Bulgarian and French. — I can read Russian, Bulgarian and French
• I can work 10 hours a day, but I am very tried at the end of the working day. - I can work 10 hours a day, but I am very tired at the end of the working day

The modal verb may expresses someone's approval or permission to perform an action. Indicates that the subject has been given the opportunity to do something

• He may use this desk when he prepares his homework. — He can use this table when he does his homework
• Granny, you got a letter. May I read it to you? — Grandma, you received a letter. Can I read it to you?

Using can and may in informal speech

What was said above is an “unbreakable” rule of use can And may in standard English. But what we see in informal, spoken English is somewhat different - a modal verb can displaces may out of use.

So, when asking permission, the child does not use may as it should:

Mom, can I play in the yard? — Mom, can I play in the yard?
Yes, you can. — Yes.

At the same time, even adults, knowing the rules and semantic subtleties of these words, still neglect them, considering the modal verb may too prim. Having talked about this phenomenon in modern spoken English, I in no way urge you to speak the same way - on the contrary, my advice would still be correct use given words in appropriate situations.

Video: What's the difference between Can and May?

The verb can belongs to a group of verbs that have certain features.

In this article I will tell you how this group of verbs differs from the rest, in what cases we use can, consider the past form of this verb and learn how to build all types of sentences with it.

Features of the use of verbs expressing the speaker’s attitude

Can belongs to a group of verbs that express the speaker's personal attitude. For example: opportunity, desire, duty, necessity, readiness.

Such verbs have a number of features that distinguish them from other verbs in the English language:

1. They are independent verbs.

With them you do not need to use do, does, did, will, etc. to ask a question or construct a negation. Not is added to them (in negation). And in questions they are placed first in the sentence.

He does not can fly.
He can't fly.

He cannot fly.
He can't fly.

Does he can fly?
Can he fly?

Can he fly?
Can he fly?

2. The particle to is never placed after such verbs.

He can't fly.
He can fly.

He canfly.
He can fly.

3. These verbs do not change their ending depending on actor

He can't fly.
He can fly.

He can fly.
He can fly.

Use of the verb can in English

The verb can is translated as “I can.” We use it when we talk about the present tense.

The verb can is used in the following situations:

1. When we talk about mental or physical ability
(I can swim, I can solve an equation)

I can dance.
I Can dance.

Tony can run fast.
Tony Maybe run fast.

2. When we ask permission to do something or ask about a request
(can I open the window, can I ask a question)

Can I look at this document?
Can should I take a look at this document?

Can she bring me coffee?
Maybe will she bring me coffee?

3. When we talk about the possibility of doing something
(I can help you, I can bring it)

4. When we talk about the likelihood that something will happen
(he might be late, it might be hard)

The verb can is in the past tense

The verb can has the past tense form could, which translates as “could”.

Could is used in the following situations:

1. To express the possibility or ability to do something in the past.
(could have tried, could have played all day as a child)

I could help.
I could help.

He could speak French.
He could To speak French.

Pay attention e: Could is used in another meaning that has nothing to do with the past tense. It is used:

2. To ask permission or express a request in a more polite manner than with can.
(could you close the window, could you bring me some water)

Could are we sitting?
Could should we sit down?

Could did you call Tom?
Could would you call Tom?

Could can you help me?
Could would you help me?

This form is very actively used when traveling when you ask strangers tell you something or help you.

Affirmative sentences with the verb can/could

Affirmative sentences - when we affirm something, that is, we say that someone can/could do something.

The verb can is independent on its own, so it does not require other auxiliary verbs. Also remember that it does not change in any way depending on the character. The sentence formation scheme will be like this:

The one about whom we're talking about+ can/could + action

You can invite other people.
You can invite other people.

He could kiss her.
He could kiss her.

Negative sentences with the verb can/could

By using this verb in a negative sentence, we say that someone does something can't/couldn't. In this case, we add the negative particle not to can. Sentence formation scheme:

The one in question + can/could + not + action

Note: Can and the particle not are written in one word, that is, we do not put a space between them: cannot.

She cannot stop crying.
She can not stop crying.

I could not go to the cinema.
I couldn't go to the cinema.

Abbreviations:

When negated, we can use the following abbreviations:

can + not = can’t

could + not = couldn’t

I can’ t answer your question.
I I can not answer your question.

She couldn't’ t leave a lesson.
She I could not leave the lesson.

Interrogative sentences with the verb can/could

To ask someone if they can do something, we need to be able to build interrogative sentences. To ask the question can we put it first. Sentence formation scheme:

Can/could + the person in question + action?

Can are we talking?
Can shall we talk?

Could do you explain this rule?
Could could you explain this rule to me?

When answering, you can use can/cannot:

Yes, I can.
Yes I can.

No, I cannot.
No I can not.

As well as other expressions suitable in meaning. For example:

Of course.
Certainly.

Sure.
Certainly.

I think so.
I think yes.

I doubt it.
I doubt.

I'm afraid not.
I'm afraid not.

Interrogative sentences with clarifying words

To clarify any information we are interested in, we can use the following words when asking a question:

• What - what
• Where - where
• Who - who
• Which - which
• Why - why
• When - when

To construct a question with these words, we put them in first place, the rest of the word order remains as in a regular question. Scheme for forming such a question:

Clarifying words + can/could + the person in question + action?

When can you call me?
When can you call me?

What could I tell him?
What could I tell him?

So, today we got acquainted with the verb can, which has certain features in its use. If you still have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments. Now is the time to move on to practice.

Reinforcement task

Translate the following sentences into English. Leave your answers in the comments below the article, and I will answer them.

1. Can you remind me to take an umbrella? Yes I can.
2. He could have warned you.
3. They cannot swim across this river.
4. Could you wait? Yes, I could wait.
5. She couldn't speak English.
6. Can your friends turn off the music? No, they can't turn off the music.
7. He can drive a car.
8. Can she sing a song?

Modal verb can(can) and its form could(could) is the most common modal verb in English. We use it to show that we can, know how, are capable of doing something. In this article we will get acquainted with all the features of the modal verb can (could).

The first thing to remember is after can or could there must be another verb. After all, on my own can does not report an action, but only shows our attitude towards it: “I can do some action.” And after this “I can” it is necessary to add “I can do what?”: can dance(I can dance) can sing(I can sing), etc.

And the second thing that must not be forgotten is after can we don't put to: can speak English. We are accustomed to the fact that two verbs in English must be related to each other using to: decide to drink coffee(decide to have coffee) or offer to go for a walk(offer to go for a walk). But modal can works without to.

We noted that this modal verb has two forms: can And could. We use these forms with any subject, both singular and plural.

My friend can speak Japanese. - My friend knows how speak Japanese.

My friends can dance salsa. - My friends can dance salsa.

What's the difference between can And could? Can used when someone knows how to do something at present, and could– when someone knew how to do something in the past, now, most likely, they no longer know how.

He can swim. - He can swim.

He could swim. - He knew how swim.

How to build a sentence with can (could)

In the table we clearly show how to use can V different types proposals.

And in the question, as expected, the word order will be slightly different.

Let's look at a few features of use can:

• Can (could) is always between the subject and the predicate.
• To ask questions, we will simply reschedule can And could first place, there is no need to add anything else.
• Particle in negation not joins can (could), forming the shape cannot (could not). In colloquial speech we usually cannot reduce to can't (couldn't). By the way, cannot– this is the only modal that merges with the particle not when writing. Do you know how to pronounce it correctly? can't: /kɑːnt/ or / kænt/? There is a British variant of pronunciation - / /. And teacher Ronnie will teach you the American version of pronunciation in his video.

What does the modal verb can (could) mean?

The easiest way to understand the meaning is can (could) with examples. We express with can:

1. The mental or physical ability to do something.

   In this case can (could) is usually translated as “to be able”, “to be able to”.

   I can’t speak to you now but I can call you in the evening. – I can’t talk to you now, but I can call you in the evening.

   He could speak French. - He could speak French.

   Can you drive a car? - Can you drive a car?

2. Commonly accepted statements

We use can, when we want to show that some statement is true in most cases. Here we translate can as in "can".

The vacuum can frighten your cat. – A vacuum cleaner can scare your cat. (as a rule, cats are scared of vacuum cleaners, but not all)

In New York it can be difficult to rent an apartment. – It can be difficult to rent an apartment in New York.

Flowers can grow faster if they get a lot of sunshine. – Flowers can grow faster if they receive a lot of sunlight.

It should be noted that we do not use the form could to express this meaning.

3. Permission, request, prohibition.

   There are several patterns here: a request is usually conveyed through a question, permission through a statement, and a prohibition through a denial. If we see a request or permission in a sentence, we translate can the verb “to be able”, the prohibition is most often translated by the word “impossible”.

   – Can I take your car for the weekend? – Can I borrow your car for the weekend? (request)
   – Yes, you can. - Yes you can. (permission)
   – But you can’t exceed the speed limit. – But you can’t exceed the speed limit. (ban)

   We can express our request using can And could. Both options are often used in speech, only such requests differ in the degree of politeness. Let's look at examples:

   Can you tell me where the nearest bus station is? – Can you tell me where the nearest bus stop is? (this kind of treatment is more typical if you are communicating with a person of the same age)

   Could you tell me where the nearest bus stop is? – Could you tell me where the nearest bus stop is? (this is a more polite question; more often the British will use this option in order to be as polite and courteous as possible in the conversation)

   With the help can we can not only ask for permission, but also propose something ourselves. To do this we use the question form.

   Can I offer you a cup of tea? – Can I offer you a cup of tea?

   Can I help you choose a dress for the party? – Can I help you choose a dress for the party?

   Look interesting video from the teacher Alex, in which he, to those already known to us can And could, added a verb may.

   • You can also learn about the features of the modal verb may in the article “”.
4. Surprise, doubt, disbelief.

   This function also has its own patterns: doubt and distrust are usually found in negative sentences, and surprise - in interrogative ones. The verb is translated can (could) in such cases with the words “really”, “can’t be”, “hardly”, “can’t believe”, “possibly”, “probably”.

   Can these shoes cost so much money? - Are these shoes really worth that much? (astonishment)

   He can't work all day round. - It can’t be that he works around the clock. (mistrust)

   Do you know that could is a past tense form can. But if we want to express doubt in the past, we use the form can't have.

   He can’t have fallen asleep at the meeting. “It’s impossible that he fell asleep during the meeting.”

   They can't have missed the last bus. “I can’t believe they missed the last bus.”

   If someone violated a prohibition or did not listen to advice, then you can reproach him for this, using the same verb can. There is, however, one peculiarity: such sentences are constructed in the form of a negative question.

   Can’t you just stop telling silly jokes to the guests? “Can you just stop telling stupid jokes to your guests?”

   Can't you get along with her friends? – Can’t you communicate normally with her friends?

Set expressions with the verb can (could)

Can (could) occurs in some established expressions. Here are a few of the most common ones:

1. Can’t (couldn’t) but do something– there was nothing left but.
   

   I couldn't but agree with him. “I had no choice but to agree with him.”

2. Couldn't help doing something- I couldn’t resist; couldn't help but.
   

   I couldn't help laughing. – I couldn’t help but laugh.

3. Can’t stand something/somebody– I can’t stand something/someone.
   

   I can't stand him. – I can’t stand him.

To make sure that the modal verb can (could) is well remembered by you, take the test and keep our convenient sign for yourself.

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Using the modal verb can (could)