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When it is written can. Everything about the verbs can and could in English: rules, examples, diagrams

Modal verb can is one of the most common verbs in the English language. It is most often used when you need to express opportunity to take some action, in other words, to say “I can do this,” “he can,” “you can,” and so on. Verb could is the past tense form of the verb can, which we will also look at in this article.

Table: modal verb Can in affirmative, negative, interrogative form

You can solve your problems later. - You can solve your problems later.
We can watch this movie next time. - We Can watch this movie next time.

Also, instead of the verb can, the phrase will be able to can be used to denote a possibility in the future; read more about this below.

2. To express a request.

Are used can And could V interrogative form. A request with could sounds a little more polite; it is used in sentences addressed to another person (that is, not with the pronoun I).

3. To express a prohibition.

Verb can't often used to express a prohibition, that is, to say not “you cannot,” but “you are not allowed.”

4. To express surprise, doubt, disbelief.

There are many nuances here, much depends on the context.

Doubt with a tinge of mistrust is more often expressed in negative sentences with a verb in the indefinite form:

He can't swim across Lake Tahoe. - Yes can not he swims across Lake Tahoe (distrust, doubt).

Surprise with a tinge of doubt and distrust is usually expressed in interrogative sentences with a verb in an indefinite form. In translation, the word “really” is often used to make the meaning clearer.

Can this unicorn be real? – Really is this unicorn real?

If in the same question we use could the meaning will change a little. You'll get something like:

Could this unicorn be real? – Could you this unicorn be real?

Often offers with can\could used ironically, with sarcasm, for example:

Could do you buy more milk? -And you are even more milky could not buy?
Could will you wake up any later? - And you are even later could not wake up?

But in this case great importance has intonation and context. One of the characters in the TV series “Friends,” Chandler, used similar phrases with “Could it be” so often that he was even sometimes imitated. Unfortunately, this feature of Chandler's speech was almost not reflected in the translation.

5. To express doubt about what happened

That is, I don’t believe that something happened. Scheme: cannot + have + Past Participle (affirmative or interrogative form).

The phrase is usually translated using “cannot be” or another suitable expression.

He is my best friend, he cannot have betrayed me. - He is my friend, it can't be that he betrayed me.
Billy doesn't have much money. He can't have bought this car. Billy doesn't have much money. He couldn't this car buy.
Can she have forgotten to pick up the kids from house? – Really she I might have forgotten pick up children from home?

Revolution could have + Past Participle

Separately, we should consider the phrase could have + (past participle, third form of the verb). It may mean:

1. An action that someone could have done but did not

She could have married him but she didn’t want to. - She could go out for him get married, but didn’t want to.
They could have bought a house here 20 years ago but chose not to. - They could buy house here 20 years ago, but decided not to do it.

There is often a hint of reproach involved.

You could have helped me instead of just sitting there. - You could help me instead of sitting here.
I could have done more to help you. Sorry. - I could do more to help you. Sorry.

2. Assumption, guess about something that happened in the past

In this case, with a slightly different meaning, can be used may have or might have, cm. " ".

Simon could have told her the truth. – Maybe, Simon told tell her the truth.
They could have overheard what we said. – They could hear what we said.

In negation and question you can use can have + Past Participle, then you get a turn like “Really...?” or “It can’t be...”, discussed above (clause 5 “To express doubt about what happened”)

Can she have forgotten about our meeting? – How could I she forget about our meeting?
He can't have seen us. – Can't be so that he us saw.

3. Assumption about something that did not actually happen

This case belongs to one of the types of conditional sentences; read more about them in.

I could have done well in my exam if I had worked harder. – I could have done better in the exam if I had prepared better.

Modal verb can and phrase to be able to

Verb can in the meaning of “to be able to do something” can be replaced by a synonymous phrase to be able to+ verb (to be able to do something). But there is a difference between these two ways of expressing possibility.

Can\to be able to in the future tense

It is usually said that turnover to be able to convenient to use when you need to talk about the possibility of doing something in the future, because the verb can there is no future tense form (you cannot say will can).

But here it is important to remember this nuance.

The verb can itself can refer to the future. For example:

You can rest later. Now we have to work. - You you can(you can) rest later. Now we have to work.
We can read this book tomorrow, let's play videogames. - We we can(we can) read this book tomorrow, let's play video games.

In the future tense, the phrase be able to is used when we talk about an opportunity, ability, skill that does not exist now, but will appear in the future. The verb can cannot be used to express a possibility, an ability that will only appear in the future.

Right: I will be able to walk properly after the surgery. - I I can Walking normally after surgery.
Wrong: I can walk properly after the surgery.
Right: will be able to work as a sailor. – When I finish these courses, I I can work as a sailor.
Wrong: When I complete this training course, I can work as a sailor.

Both options, can or to be able to, can be used when talking about decisions or agreements related to the future:

The doctor can\will be able to see you later today. - Doctor will be able see you later today.
I can\will be able to help you with your homework later. - I I can help you with your homework later.
I can\will be able to give you a lift home tonight. - I I can give you a ride home tonight.

Can\to be able to in the present tense

To be able to sounds more formal, even strange. It’s the same as saying in Russian not “I can play the guitar,” but “I’m capable of playing the guitar.”

I can play a guitar. - I Can to play guitar.
I am able to play a guitar. - I capable to play guitar.
Michelle can can bake delicious pies.
Michelle is able to bake delicious cakes. – Michelle capable bake delicious pies.

Variants with can are used much more often.

Can \ to be able to in the past tense

When talking about an ability or opportunity that existed in the past, both options can be used:

When I was younger, I could could remember everything better.
When I was younger, I was able to remember everything so well. – When I was younger, I could remember everything better.

Please note that in the past tense could usually means (in affirmative sentences) the ability to do something in general and is not used when talking about some one-time action at a certain moment. It makes more sense here to be able to.

Right: We were able to visit Mary on Monday, because she wasn’t busy. - We were able to visit Mary on Monday because she was not busy.
Wrong: We could visit Mary Monday, because she wasn’t busy.

IN negative sentences both couldn’t and wasn’t\weren’t able to can be used for both long-term actions and one-time ones.

I couldn't / wasn't able to finish all my homework yesterday. - I could not finish homework yesterday.
I couldn't / wasn't able to see the band at all from where I was standing. - I don’t feel like it at all wasn't visible(couldn't see) the musicians from where I was standing.
I couldn't / wasn't able to drive when I was younger. - I couldn't drive, when I was younger.

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.

Statement
Subject	Can/could	Action	Example
I You He She It We They	can could	verb	I can help you. - I can help you. They could ride a bike. - They knew how to ride a bicycle.
Negation
I You He She It We They	cannot (can't) could not (couldn't)	verb	I cannot help you. - I can not help you. They couldn't ride a bike. “They didn’t know how to ride a bicycle.”

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

Question
Can/could	Subject	Action	Example
Can Could	I you he she it we they	verb	Can I help you? - I can help you? Could they ride a bike? – Did they know how to ride a bicycle?

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:

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?
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.

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 “”.
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:

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.”
Couldn't help doing something- I couldn’t resist; couldn't help but.
I couldn't help laughing. – I couldn’t help but laugh.
Can’t stand something/somebody– I can’t stand something/someone.
I can't stand him. – I can’t stand him.

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Using the modal verb can (could)

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Modal verb "can" used in English to express a person's ability to do something. This verb does not denote action; it has a different meaning. That's why it's called modal.

When constructing interrogative and negative sentences, “can” behaves the same as “to be”. That is, it does not need any auxiliary verbs.

Conjugation of the verb "can". Affirmative sentences.

Examples of affirmative sentences with the verb can

I can swim. I can swim. Mary and Brad can read and write. Mary and Brad can read and write. She can dance several hours without a break. She can dance for several hours without a break.

Negative sentences with "can"

Examples of negative sentences with the verb can

He can't swim. He can't swim. Their parents can't drive. Their parents don't know how to drive (a car). These people can’t understand the French language. These people cannot understand French.

Interrogative sentences with "can"

Examples of interrogative sentences with the verb can

Can he drive? Can he drive a car? Can you understand English speech? Can you understand English? Can Nina and Peter write poems? Can Nina and Peter write poems?

Using the modal verb “can”

Often verb Can causes controversy over whether it is a regular or irregular verb. It cannot be completely classified as “incorrect,” but it cannot be called correct either, because at all times it has its own form. We remember that irregular verbs in English are special words in English, which have their own form for the past tense. Is Can an irregular verb or a regular verb in English?

However, Can is a modal verb and also acts as an auxiliary verb in some cases. What are English modal verbs? These words (Modal Verbs) differ from other verbs in that they do not denote actions or states, but only convey the speaker’s attitude to the action, which is expressed by the initial form (infinitive) of the verb. In combination with this infinitive, Modal Verbs form a complex verbal modal predicate.

Modal verbs are May, Must, Ought to, Should, etc. AND Can- one of them.

The verb we are considering means “to be able to, to be able to, to be able to, to be capable.” Eg:

My father can play chess - My father can play chess.
Can can you help me? - You can help me?
Ic an help you right now. - I Can(able, able) to help you right now.

This modal verb has the following grammatical forms depending on the time in which it is used:

Past Simple: Could

I could not call you, because I was busy.- I couldn’t call you because I was busy.
Tom couldn’t come to us, because he caught a cold. Tom couldn’t come to us because he had a cold.

Present Simple: Can

I can talk to him if you want. - I can talk to him if you want.
Can you come to me right now? -Can you come to me right now?

Future Simple: Will be able

Tom will be able to help you if you ask him for it. - Tom will be able (will be able) to help you if you ask him about it.
Will you be able to finish that work till tomorrow? -Can you finish this work by tomorrow?

Negative form looks like this: Cannot (can"t), Could not (couldn"t), Won’t be able:

I cannot find his telephone number. — I can't find his phone number.
Alex could not answer the call, because he wasn’t in the room. — Alex couldn’t answer the call because he wasn’t in the room.
He won’t be able to help us, because he’ll be absent. “He won’t be able to help us because he’ll be away.”

Interrogative form: Can I? Could I? Will I be able?

Can you show me the way to the forest? -Can you show me the way to the forest?
Could I help you with your task yesterday? — Could I help you with the task yesterday?
Will you be able to come to my party on Friday? -Can you come to my party on Friday?

And finally interrogative-negative form: Can I not (can"t I)?, Could I not (couldn"t I)? Won't I be able?

Can't you listen to me? - Could you listen to me?
Couldn't Tom know that? “Couldn’t Tom have known about this?”
Won’t you be able to help me with this? -Can you help me with this?

So, is this a regular verb? Of course not. There is no doubt that it is incorrect, because in each time it has its own form.
English modal verb can with translation (to be able; to be able).

Use of the verb Can in English

You, of course, remember that English grammar has frequent pitfalls. Interesting cases can be observed with the verb Can.

For example, the past tense form Could sometimes it has the meaning of present tense and future tense: the phrase “Could you help me?” can be translated as “Can you help me?”, as well as “Can you help me?” and even in the conditional mood “Could you help me?”

The same form Could is used in the conditional mood of the English language, in the second and third cases (Conditional of the 2nd and the 3rd case).

Note:

If I could know that, I would prevent you.- If I could to know this, I would warn you.
If he had known that, he could have helped us. - If he knew, he could would like to help us.

IN this proposal could also acts as an auxiliary verb, instead of which there could be would, And should, And might, that is, e forms that are always present in the conditional mood.

The present tense form of the verb Can has the following meanings:

Skill, ability to do something: Sue can cook a cake. — Sue can bake a cake. My father can play chess. — My father knows how to play chess.
Resolution (in in this case verb Can replaces the verb May, which more often means permission, but in the colloquial form of the language it is customary to use Can): You can go home if you want. -You can go home if you want. Can I take your pencil? —Can I borrow your pencil?
Opportunity: I can find all the mistakes in my dictation. — I can find all the mistakes in my dictation. I can show you the way. - I can show you the way.
Surprise, doubt: Can it be real? - Could this be real? Can it be true that Tom went to Italy? — Could it be true that Tom went to Italy?
In the meaning of the future tense: I can give you this newspaper tomorrow, if you want. - I can give you this newspaper tomorrow if you want. I can go with you to there the next week. - I can go there with you next week.

The form of the future tense, namely Will be able, indicates ability, possibility, permission, etc. in the future. For example:

We will be able to ski and skate in winter.- We will be able to ski and skate in winter.
You will be able to go home after our lesson. - You can go home after our lesson.
You will be able to see the tall trees on the coast of California. — You can see tall trees on the California coast.

Form Be able can also be used in the present tense and mean action in the present tense. For example:

I am able to write this dictation right now. - I can write this dictation right now.
Tom is able to help you. - Tom can help you.

So, these are all forms of the English modal verb Can. This verb is irregular only judging by the forms for each tense. But from a grammatical point of view, this is a Modal Verb, since it often acts as an auxiliary verb.

Can and him past form Could is practically the most frequently used modal. It is found in literature, in the media, and in colloquial speech. If we compare the frequency of use of can and could, it becomes clear that can is much more common. This is due to the fact that in colloquial speech and literature events occur mainly in the present tense, which means that can will be used in the meaning of physical possibility. Let's look at the grammatical features of these modal verbs and the features of their use.

Grammatical features of can and could

Like most modals, can/could are used without the to particle after them, that is, with the so-called “bare” or bare infinitive. The use of to after these modals is one of the most gross and cartoonish mistakes. This is equivalent to saying “he haves” instead of the grammatically correct “ ”. There are not so many modals that require a piece of the infinitive after themselves and they can be easily remembered. According to general rule, to is not placed after modal verbs:

I can do this of course, but you should be careful and take care of yourself - Of course, I can do this, but you should be careful and take care of yourself.
Who can translate this text into Spanish? — I can, I am a translator but with little practice. — Who can translate this text into Spanish? — I can, I’m a translator, but I have little experience.
Could you help me with this luggage? It’s too heavy and I have just had a surgery and not allowed to lift heavy things – Could you help me with my luggage? He is very heavy. And I just recently came out of surgery and I can’t lift weights.

In all three examples it is clear that after can/could there is a verb immediately without an infinitive particle.

The next feature, more related to can, is that this verb has the past tense form - could. It is used not only directly in the past tense, but also in sentences with speech agreement, as well as in conditional sentences.

I could do it when I was younger, but I am not twenty now and even not thirty, you should admit. “I could do this when I was younger.” But I’m no longer twenty, or even thirty, as you must have noticed.

In this case, the speaker refers his speech to the past, when he could have performed a certain action. Here we simply use could in the basic meaning - the physical ability to do something in the past tense and nothing more.

The doctor said that they could swim if they want to but not for long distances - The doctor said that they can swim if they want, but long distances must be avoided.

Here is a sentence that has obviously been translated from direct speech to indirect speech. According to the rule of tense agreement, can should have passed into the past tense, namely, become could due to the fact that in the first part of the sentence there is said - an indicator of the need for agreement.

In interrogative and negative sentences, can/could are used without auxiliary verbs and themselves take their place in sentences:

Can we get out of here? I don’t like this place, I am scared and I don;t believe this woman, she looks strange – Can we get out of here? I don't like this place, I'm scared and I don't trust this woman. She looks strange.
I can’t tell you the truth just because I don’t know all the details, I am not the person to be asked for truth in this matter – I can’t tell you the truth because I don’t know all the details. I am not the right person to ask about the truth regarding this situation.

In the first sentence in the question, can has taken the place of the auxiliary verb in the general question. And in the second case, it also stands where, according to the meaning, there should be an auxiliary with a negative particle not. These are reflections of the history of the development of modals, when auxiliary verbs had not yet appeared in the form as we know them, but modals already existed and were used. In order to emphasize the special status of most modals, later they began to be used without auxiliary verbs.

Can does not have a future tense form. This means that to denote a possibility in the future, the equivalent of to be able to is used:

I will be able to read this book in English in a year I suppose - I think I can read this book in English.

Also, the modals can/could do not change across faces. That is, they use only one form:

We can sing, she can sing, but you – you can’t at all – We can sing, she can sing, but you – you can’t at all.

Using can/could in different situations

As stated above, can, as a basic rule, denotes the physical or mental ability to do something. That is, this is what a person can do based on his own strengths and skills. This rule is best illustrated by cases for denoting physical possibility:

I can swim well, don’t be afraid – I can swim, don’t worry.

The second case is a general possibility or probability, something that is easy to assume from the available facts.

She can be there, it’s quite her style – to vanish in some hidden nook for a couple of days – She can be there, it’s like her to disappear for a couple of days and sit in some secluded corner.

The third is not a specific, but a theoretical possibility. Sentences of this type are familiar to everyone from school:

You can see a lot of pictures in the museum – In the museum you can see a lot of paintings.

Can is often used in questions expressing a request. By the way, in negations that mean refusal, only can is used, as can be seen from the following example:

Can I come in? - No, you can’t, I am too busy. - Can I come in? - No, you can’t, I’m very busy.

can has an equivalent - may. But even to a question that begins with may, the answer will still be can’t. This question is more formal and polite than the can option.