Modal verbs are verbs that characterize the responsibilities, capabilities, desires and necessity of action. They directly convey the speaker’s attitude to what is happening.
Despite the fact that modal verbs are strong and do not require the use of an auxiliary verb, when constructing interrogative and negative sentences, they cannot be used independently without a semantic verb:
I cannot fly. - I can not fly.
You may go. - You can go.
In English, modal verbs are used independently only when they form a short answer, or the meaning of the statement is clear from the previous context in which semantic (weak) verbs are used:
- Can you read this?
- I can.
Most people cannot run as fast as animals, but some can.
In English for expression possibilities/impossibility or abilities/inabilities to do something, two modal verbs are most often used - can And may.
They do not change in persons and numbers, as evidenced by the absence of an ending -s- in the present simple tense, do not have all the usual forms for weak verbs (for example, the ending -ing) and do not require the help of an auxiliary verb do/ does/ did.
Can vs. May
Can And may have a meaning in Russian be able/ be able/ allow. It is immediately worth noting that in most cases they are not interchangeable. In the image accompanying the illustration of the article there is a saying:
Do as you may if you can’t do as you could.
This aphorism uses three modal verbs at once and all three will have different shades meanings. The sentence itself is translated as follows:
Do as you are allowed, if you are prohibited from doing as you could.
There are certain criteria when choosing a particular verb.
Can has two forms in English - the present tense form and the past tense form could, which will also be used in the subjunctive mood.
However, in English it is possible to use a modal verb can in the future tense. In this case, it will be replaced by an equivalent verb to be able to do smth.
I can read English.- Present Simple
He thought he could do it alone.- Past Simple
I wish I could see it.
He told me he could have seen it earlier.- Perfect
She will be able to finish the painting in Summer.- Future
May used in English in the form of present and past tense might, which can also be found in sentences in the subjunctive mood.
May I come in?- Present Simple
They might come yesterday.- Past Simple
He might be at home.- Subjunctive mood (subjunctive mood)
Use of Can and May
Modal verb can has a wider range of applications compared to the verb may.
1. For expression ability or ability to do something use can:
I can swim. Can you?
2. Can also used to indicate possibilities(theoretical or according to some rules):
You can find it in any dictionary.
Russian Railways can change the fares seasonally.- Russian Railways may change tariffs depending on the season.
3. When prohibited used for something cannot (can't). You can also find prohibitions with may, but they will sound too “soft”:
You cannot talk too loud in the library.- You can't speak loudly in the library.
You may not talk loudly in the library.- You are not allowed to speak loudly in the library.
4. Request can be expressed through can or could. The latter in this case will have emphatically polite treatment:
Can you pass me some butter?
Could you pass me some butter?
5. When expressing surprise in interrogative sentences or reproach the narrative often uses a modal verb can. Its shape could will reflect the extreme degree of the condition:
How can you be so rude?- How can you be so rude?
You could tell me in the end.- In the end, you could have told me!
6. Cannot (can't) used to denote strong mistrust:
She can't work there.- Yes, she can’t work there.
They couldn't have done it.- They just couldn't do it.
Please note that in almost all cases of use could, verb emphasizes exaggerated attitude speaking to current events.
In situations where you ask permission to do something can be used both modal verbs. Offers with may at the same time they will sound more formally:
You can come in.- You can come in.
You may come in.- Come in./ You can come in.
Modal verbs may/might contain character speaker's uncertainty regarding the events described. As in the case of could past form might transmits greater degree of uncertainty:
Somebody's calling. It may be Mary.- Someone is calling. Perhaps it's Mary.
It may rain. Take an umbrella.- It can start raining. Take an umbrella.
Modal verb may most often used when especially polite treatment:
May I sit down?- Can I sit down? / Let me sit down?
Can I sit down? would rather be translated “Can I sit down?”
Often might used when expressing reproach. The sentence sounds especially caustic:
You might have told me beforehand.- I could have warned you in advance.
In this article we started a big important topic on modal verbs and talked about two of them. In future publications we will definitely try to highlight the remaining representatives of this category.
We wish you to be able to master this grammar material! May success be with you!
Victoria Tetkina
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Modal verb "can" used in English to express a person's ability to do something. This verb does not serve to indicate an 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”
To effectively learn English and understand it intuitively, understanding the rules for using English modal verbs is vital. However, it’s not always easy to figure out all these subtleties on your own, so let’s do it together. And we will begin, perhaps, with the easiest modal verb to understand and master - can.
Verb meaningCAN
We all know how important it is to express in words your ability or ability to do something. For this purpose, in the English language there is a small and cute verb - can. It is with the help of it that you can tell your English-speaking interlocutors about your abilities and skills, and you can also ask permission to do something, make a request or suggestion.
Can or Could
Could is the original past form of the verb can, which is used to express ability in the past, as well as in indirect speech. At the same time, in requests, requests, orders or proposals it is customary to say “could”, this is considered a more polite form of address. On the other hand, when you ask for permission or permission, the correct way to say it is can.
Let's look at examples.
In the sense of being able to -ability (opportunity).
He can speak English very well - He can speak English very well.
When he was five he couldn’t swim, but he could rollerblade - When he was five years old, he couldn’t swim, but he knew how to rollerblade (past tense).
She said she could do it - She said she can do it.
In the meaning of permission (permission) –permission
You can take a break after you do this exercise - You can take a break after you do this exercise.
Can I use you laptop? Can (you) allow me to use your laptop? - Yes, you can.
Can I ask you something? - Could I ask you something?
Can I help you? - Can I help you?
Request, suggestion– request,offer
Could I have some more coffee, please? — Can I have some more coffee?
Could you do me a favor? – Can I ask you a favor?
I could do this for you - I can do this for you (sentence meaning - let me do this for you).
Possibility in the sense of "maybe" -possibility
It could rain today. - It might rain today.
This can’t be true - This cannot be true.
It should also be noted that in negative and interrogative sentences, in combination with the perfect infinitive, can and could express the impossibility, improbability that an action could happen and are translated into Russian as unlikely, hardly, cannot be.
For example:
You couldn't have doneit. – I can’t believe you did it (You couldn’t do it).
She can’t have learned English so quickly. “It’s unlikely that she could have learned English so quickly.”
A hypothetical possibility in the sense of “could” is onlycould
We could get there on time if only you’re going faster – If you walked faster, we could arrive on time.
These are, perhaps, all the rules for using the modal verb can and its brother could, which are not at all difficult to learn. But finally, we will reveal one more nuance to you.
These verbs also have another form - be able to. This form can be used in all tenses - present, past and future. But to a greater extent, beableto is necessary to express all those possibilities that we described above in the future tense and tenses of the Perfect group.
For example:
He won’t be able to come today - He won’t be able to come today.
He has not been able to do what you asked - He did not have the opportunity (he could not, was not able) to do what you asked.
Can is the simplest and easiest of the English modal verbs and you will surely master it with ease after reading our article.
Modal verb can- one of the most common verbs in English. 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, we will also consider it 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. Please s could sounds somewhat more polite, it is used in sentences addressed to another person (that is, not with the pronoun I).
Can I take your pen? – Can Shall I take your pen?
Can I suggest you another option? – Can Shall I suggest you another option?
Can do you give me a hand? – Can't you will you help me? (to give a hand – lit.: to give a hand, trans.: to help)
Could you tell me where is the library? – Would you mind telling me where is the library located?
Could do you do me a favour, please? – Could you will you do me a favor?
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.”
You can't smoke here, there are kids playing. - Here it is forbidden smoking, children play here.
You can't park here. It’s a private territory. - To you it is forbidden Park here, it's private territory.
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, intonation and context are of great importance. One of the characters in the 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 conditional offers, 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.
Future tense turnover to be able to used when we talk about an opportunity, ability, skill that does not exist now, but will appear in the future. Verb can Can NOT 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.
Another example:
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 to talk about decisions or agreements relating 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
In present time 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.
Options with can are used much more often.
Can / to be able to in 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 How couldn't, so wasn't/weren't able to can be used for both long-term and one-time actions.
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.
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Modal verbs are verbs that express a person’s assessment of the surrounding reality. Without denoting an action, they express an attitude towards the action.
The action (meaning) itself is expressed by the infinitive of the verb (but without the particle to!), standing after the modal, therefore they are usually not used separately from semantic ones.
One of the most common and frequently used modal verbs is can (could). Let's consider the features of its use.
Rules for using the verbs can and could
The verb can, like other modal verbs, has grammatical features:
- The verb can does not change form for various persons and numbers (in the third person singular the ending –s is missing).
- Has no impersonal forms(that is, it does not form , and ).
- The verb can has no . In the past tense, this verb goes into the form could, and to form the future tense, they use the equivalent equivalent to be able to (to be able to do something).
I could play football from morning till night when I was a child.– I could play football from morning to night when I was a child.
I will be able to send you an answer tomorrow after breakfast.– I can send you an answer tomorrow after breakfast.
Note: to be able to has a slightly different meaning. Can expresses ability, possibility in a general sense, while to be able to – the ability to do something at a certain point in time.
The difference can be felt in the following example:
I can play the piano, but I am not able to do it at the moment because my hand is broken.– I know how to play the piano, but I won’t be able to play now (I don’t have the opportunity) because my arm is broken.
When forming negatives and questions with modal verbs, auxiliary verbs are not used.
To form a question, can (could) is simply placed before the subject:
Can you give me a screwdriver?-Can you give me a screwdriver?
There are two entries for negation with can - full and abbreviated:
- Cannot(only continuous writing) – can’t (in the present tense);
- Could not– couldn’t (in the past).
The abbreviated form is used in informal, colloquial speech.
You can’t just sit and watch TV all day long. – You can't just sit and watch TV all day.
Use of the verb can (lexical meaning of can)
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Negations with verbs can (could)
They are built without auxiliary verbs, the particle not is placed after the verb can/could.
Examples:
You cannot (can’t) act this way, there are children all around.“You can’t behave like that, there are children around here.”
Jake could not (couldn’t) understand anything at the lesson yesterday.– Jake couldn’t understand anything during class yesterday.
Interrogative sentences with verbs can/could
To construct a question, let’s change the word order characteristic of affirmative proposal: Can/could + subject + semantic verb + other parts of the sentence.
Examples:
Can you find any mistakes in this text?– Can you find errors in this text?
Could you read when you were four years old? – Did you know how to read when you were four years old?
Using interrogative sentences with can (could) they often express a request, which is usually translated into Russian as “Could you,” “allow”:
Can I ask you a couple of questions?– Can I ask you a couple of questions? (May I ask you a couple of questions?)
Could you give me that juicy piece of meat? – Could you pass me that juicy piece of meat?
Constructing questions with can (could) with clarifying words
For additional information, please clarify:
- Who (who)
- What (what)
- Where (where)
- When
- Which (which)
- Why (why)
Remains the same as in interrogative sentence without qualifying words, but a qualifying word is placed before can/could:
Specifying word + can/could + subject + semantic verb + other parts of the sentence.
Examples:
Who can show me the city?– Who can show me the city?
What can Peter do to save the situation?– What should Peter do to save the situation?
Note. In questions with clarifying words, the verb can (could) is often not translated:
Where can I find the best restaurant?– Where can I find the best restaurant?
Who can speak German? – Does anyone speak German?
Set expressions with can
Let's list them:
- Can't stand- I can’t stand it, I can’t stand it
- Can't help doing something– I can’t help but do something (I can’t resist doing something)
- Can't take my eyes off her/him– I can’t take my eyes off him/her
- Can't think straight– I can’t concentrate
- Can't get you out of my head- I can’t get you out of my head
- Can't get enough of something– I can’t get enough of anything
Summarize:
- The verb can does not indicate action, and therefore is used only together with semantic verbs;
- Could is, but it can also signify in some senses;
- with can, as well as negative ones, are constructed without the use of auxiliary verbs, simply by changing the word order (for questions) and adding a negative particle (for negation);
- Meaning of the verb can: ability, skill, resolution, doubt (surprise);
- When expressing the meaning of doubt, distrust using could instead of can will make you less categorical and rigid;
- If you ask permission for someone, then using could instead of can will make the tone more polite;
- There are many set expressions with can, which are better to learn.
