The second form of the verb is can. The modal verb can, could, be able to in English

For effective study of the English language and its intuitive understanding, understanding the rules for using English modal verbs is vital. However, it is not always easy to figure out all these subtleties on your own, so let's do it together. And we will start, perhaps, with the easiest modal verb to understand and master - can.

The meaning of the verbCAN

We all know how important it is to express in words your skill or ability to do something. For this, there is a small and cute verb in English - 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 offer.

Can or Could

Could is originally past form the verb can, which is used to express ability in the past, as well as in indirect speech. At the same time, in requests, inquiries, 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 permission or permission, it is correct to say can.

Let's look at some examples.

In the meaning 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 could 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 (will you let) me use your laptop? - Yes, youcan.

Can I ask you something? - Could I ask you something?

Can I help you? - May I assist you?

Request, offer- request,offer

Could I have some more coffee, please? - Can I have some more coffee?

Could you do me a favor? - May I ask you a favor?

I could do this for you - I can do it for you (sentence meaning - let me do it for you).

Possibility in the meaning of "maybe" -the possibility

It could rain today. - It may rain today.

This can’t be true - It 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, the improbability of the fact that the action could have occurred and are translated into Russian as hardly, hardly can not be.

For instance:

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 is unlikely that she could learn English so quickly.

A hypothetical possibility in the meaning of "could" - onlycould

We could get there on time if only you’re going faster - If you were going faster, we could come on time.

These are, perhaps, all the rules for using the modal verb can and its counterpart could, which are not at all difficult to learn. But finally, we will reveal one more nuance to you.

These verbs also have one more form - be able to. This form can be used in all times - 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 times of the Perfect group.

For instance:

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 probably master it with ease by reading our article.

Often the verb Can causes controversy over whether this is a correct verb or an irregular one. It cannot be completely categorized as “wrong,” but you cannot call it correct either, because at all times it has its own form. We remember that English irregular verbs are special words in English that have their own form for the past tense. Can - irregular verb or correct english language?

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 initial form(infinitive) of the verb. Combined with this infinitive, Modal Verbs form a complex verb 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 be able, to be able, to be capable." For example:

• My father can play chess. - My father knows how play chess.
• Can you help me? - You can help me?
• I c an help you right now. - I AM can(able, able) to help you right now.

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

• Past Simple: Could

I could not call you, because I was busy.
Tom couldn’t come to us, because he caught a cold. - Tom could not come to us because he caught 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 before 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 could not answer the call because he was not in the room.
• He won’t be able to help us, because he’ll be absent. “He will not be able to help us because he will be absent.

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 problem 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? - Could Tom know about this?
• Won’t you be able to help me with this? - Can you help me with this?

So, is this a correct verb? Of course not. There is no doubt about its incorrectness, 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 will, of course, remember that English grammar is a frequent pitfall. WITH by the verb Can interesting cases can be observed.

For example, the past tense form Could sometimes present and future tense matters: the phrase "Could you help me?" can be translated as "Can you help me?", as well as "Can you help me?" and even in 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. could to know this, I would warn you.
• If he had known that, he could have helped us. - If he knew, he could to help us.

In this proposal could 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 Can has the following meanings:

• Ability, ability to do something: Sue can cook a cake. - Sue knows how to bake a cake. My father can play chess. - My father knows how to play chess.
• Permission (in this case, the verb Can replaces the verb May, which 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 take 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 it 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 paper 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 the ability, opportunity, resolution, etc. in the future. For instance:

• 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 coast of California.

Form Be able can also be used in the present tense and have the meaning of action in the present tense. For instance:

• 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 only irregular judging by the forms for each tense. But from a grammatical point of view, this is Modal Verb, as it often appears as an auxiliary verb.

Everything you need to know about the modal 'Can':

- translation, transcription and pronunciation;
- features of the modal verb;
- ‘Can’ in the present, past and future;
- ‘Can’ in negative and interrogative forms;
- using the verb 'Can' - rules and examples;

The modal verb 'Can' is translated into Russian: I can, I can, I can handle it, I can.

Transcription: 'Can' -.
In sentences, the sound ‘a’ is swallowed and pronounced as - kn - kn.

Pronunciation 'Can'

Features of the modal verb 'Can'

1. There is no particle between 'can' and another verb - to -

He can to go shopping tomorrow. X

2. The end of the verb 'can' does not end with - s -

He cans go shopping tomorrow. X
He can go shopping tomorrow. Correct option.

3. At the end of the second verb, the ending -s- is also not put.

He can goes shopping tomorrow. X
He can go shopping tomorrow. Correct option.

4. The ing-ing form is not used.

He can swimming. X
He can swimm. Correct option.

5. Not used in the future tense with the auxiliary will.

I will can help you. X
I can help you. Correct option.

6. The interrogative form is formed without an auxiliary verb - Do -

Do you can walk? X
Can you walk? Correct option.

7. The negative form is formed with the particle not, it is placed after the modal verb.

She does not sing. X
She can not sing. Correct option.

Forms of the verb 'Can' - present, future and past tense

PRESENT - I can walk. I can walk.
PAST - I could walk. I could walk.
FUTURE - I will be able to walk. I can walk.

'Can' in negative form

Can't - can’t - I can’t.
You can’t - you can’t.
She / he can’t - she / he cannot.
They / we / - they / we cannot.

I can't believe it. I can not believe.
He can't stay long. He cannot stay long.
She can’t jump. She cannot jump.

'Can' in interrogative form

Can I ask you? May I ask you? Can I ask you something?
Can she write me? Can she write to me? Can she write to you?
Can he meet me? Can he meet me?

Use of the verb 'Can'

1. When we have the skill / ability to do something:

I can drive a car. I can drive a car.
He cannot speak Japanese. He can not speak Japanese.
Can you cook? Can you cook?

2. When to ask for permission:

May I go for a walk? Can I go for a walk?
May I come in? Can I come in?
May I come today? Can I come today?

3. When you need to ask for something:

Can I have some more coffee? Can I get some more coffee?
Can I use your tablet? Can I use your tablet?
Can you call me back? Can you call me back?
Can you send me your picture? Can you send me your picture?

4. When you need to get permission:

You can take this bike. You can take this bicycle.
You can do what you want. You can do whatever you like.

Can + be proposals

Yes, it can be confusing.
Yes, it can be confusing.

English can be strange.
English can be weird.

This can’t be true.
That can not be true.

This can be real.
It might be real.

The world can be better.
The world could be better.

I can be a super friend.
I can be a very good friend.