Can – Could – Be Able to: talking about ability

We sometimes use ‘be able to’ instead of ‘can’ and ‘could’ to talk about ability. For example, if the present ability is surprising or involves some difficulty: Despite his handicap he is able to drive a car.

To emphasize the difficulty or to suggest a great effort (in the present, past or future) we use ‘managed to’. In formal English we can also use ‘succeed in + -ing form’: Do you think she will manage to get a visa? The army succeeded in defeating the enemy.

We also use ‘be able to’ were ‘can / could’ are grammatically impossible: I haven’t been able to drive since I dislocated a shoulder.

However, we avoid ‘be able to’

ò when we talk about something that is happening as we speak: Watch me, Mum; I can stand on one leg.

ò before passives: CDs can now be copied easily.

ò when the meaning is ‘know how to’: Can you cook?

 

If we talk about a single achievement, rather than a general ability in the past, we usually use ‘be able to’ rather than ‘could’. Compare:

Sue could play the flute quite well. (or … was able to …; a general ability)

She swam strongly and was able to cross the river easily, even though it was swollen by the heavy rain. (specific achievement)

We use ‘will be able’ to talk about skills that will be acquired in the future: I’ll be able to drive by next summer so we can hire a car.

 

However, ‘could’ is more natural

ò in negative sentences: I tried to get up but I couldn’t move.

ò with verbs of sense perception (e.g. feel, hear, see, smell, taste) and with verbs of ‘thinking’ (e.g. believe, decide, remember, understand): I could remember the crash but nothing after that.

ò after the phrases the only thing / place / time, and after all when it means ‘the only thing’: All we could see were his feet.

ò to suggest that something almost didn’t happen, particularly with almost, hardly, just, nearly: I could nearly touch the ceiling.

 

Can / could: talking about possibility

To talk about the theoretical possibility of something happening we use ‘could’. However, we use ‘can’, to say that something is possible and actually happens. Compare:

It could be expensive to keep a cat. (if we had one, it could or may not be expensive)

It can be expensive to keep a cat. (it can be, and sometimes is)

We use ‘can’t’ to say that something is theoretically or actually impossible: There can’t be many people in the world who haven’t watched television.

We use ‘can’ to indicate that there is a very real possibility of a future event happening. Using ‘could’ suggests something is less likely or that there is some doubt about it. Compare:

We can stay with Jim in Oslo (= we will be able to stay).

We could stay with Jim in Oslo (= it’s possible; if he’s here).

 

Could and be allowed to: talking about permission

To say that in the past someone had general permission to d something, we can use either ‘could’ or ‘was / were allowed to’. However, to talk about permission for one particular past action, we use ‘was / were allowed to’. Compare:

Anyone was allowed (could) to fish in the lake when the council owned it.

Although he didn’t have a ticket, Ken was allowed to come in.

In negative sentences, we can use either ‘couldn’t’ or ‘wasn’t / weren’t allowed to’ to say that permission was not given in general or particular situations: We couldn’t / weren’t allowed to open the presents until the Christmas morning.

 

May

I. This modal verb has two forms:

‘may’ for the present tense: It may be true. You may go home.

and ‘might’ for the past and as the subjunctive mood form. Thus the form might is used in two ways:

a) in past-time contexts, mainly in reported speech in accordance with the rules of the sequence of tenses: He told me that it might be true.

b) in present-time contexts as a milder and more polite form of ‘may’: Might I come and see you?

or as a form implying more uncertainty than ‘may’: It might be true.

or to express unreality (only with the perfect infinitive): He might have fallen ill if he hadn’t taken the pills.

or in some syntactical patterns requiring the subjunctive mood forms: However hard he might (or may) try, he will never manage to do the same.

II. ‘Mayhas the following meanings:

1) supposition implying uncertainty: He may be busy getting ready for his trip. ‘May’ in this sense is synonymous with ‘perhaps’ and ‘maybe’ and occurs in affirmative and negative sentences. In Russian this meaning is usually rendered by means of the modal words ‘возможно’ and ‘может быть’: He may be at home. Он, возможно, дома.

In this meaning ‘may’ can be followed by different forms of the infinitive depending on the time reference expressed.

‘May’ in combination with the simple infinitive (non-perfect infinitive) usually refers the action to the future: He may come soon. They may arrive tonight or tomorrow.

‘May’ in combination with the perfect infinitive refers the action to the past: Why hasn’t he come? He may have been hurt. He may have fallen ill.

2) possibility due to circumstances: You may order a taxi by telephone. The railways may be improved.

‘May’ in this meaning occurs only in affirmative sentences and it is followed only by the simple infinitive. The form ‘might’ is used in past-time contexts in accordance with the rules of the sequence of tenses: He said that he might order a taxi by telephone.

3. permission: ‘may’ expresses the meaning ‘to have permission to’, ‘to be allowed to’, ‘to be permitted to’: You may smoke in here.

‘May’ in this meaning is found in affirmative sentences, in interrogative sentences which usually express a request, and in negative sentences where it denotes prohibition. But in negative sentences it is not common, as prohibition is generally expressed by other modal verbs (see ‘can’ and ‘must’). In this meaning ‘may’ is combined only with the simple infinitive. ‘Might’ is used in polite requests for permission: Might I join you? I wonder if I might borrow your car.

4. reproach or disapproval: in this meaning ‘might’ is used in affirmative sentences and is followed by the simple or perfect infinitive. In the latter case it renders irritation (annoyance) that the action was not carried out: You might at least offer to help. You might carry the parcel for me.

5. ‘may’ / ‘might’ is used in certain sentence patterns:

a) in clauses of purpose: Sit here so that I may see your face more clearly.

b) in clauses of concession: Try as he may he will never be top of his class. However hard he might try, he never mananged it.

c) in subordinate clauses after verbs or nouns expressing hope, wish, fear: The doctor has fears that she may not live much longer. The prisoner had hopes that he might be set free.

6. ‘may’ is used in formal expressions of wishes and hopes. ‘May’ often comes at the beginning of the sentence.

May you both be happy! Счастья вам обоим!

May the New Year bring you all your heart desires. Пусть новый год принесет вам все то, что ваше сердце (душа) желает.

May God be with you. Да поможет тебе бог.

May she rest in peace. Пусть она покоится с миром.

7. notice the following set phrases with ‘may’ and ‘might’:

a) may as well (might as well) + infinitive – is a very mild and unemphatic way of expressing an intention. It is used tо suggest or recommend an action: I may as well take the child with me. Я, пожалуй, возьму ребенка с собой.

b) ‘may / might just as well’ means ‘it would be equally good to’ and is used to suggest alternative actions (just makes the sentence more emphatic): ‘I’ll go at six’. ‘That’s far too late; you might just as well not go at all’. … с таким же успехом можно не ходить туда совсем.

c) ‘It might have been worse’ means: things are not so bad after all. In Russian it is rendered as: ‘Могло бы быть и хуже’ or в ‘конце концов дела обстоят не так уж плохо’.

Charles came out of the examinaton room. ‘How did you get on?” I asked. ‘It might have been worse, I suppose’, he said.

d) ‘He might have been a …’ means ‘He might have been taken for a …’ , ‘He looked like a …’: From afar the house might have been a small inn. Из далека дом можно было принять за небольшую гостиницу.

e) ‘If I may say so …’ has become a stereotyped phrase in which the meaning of permisson is considerably weakened: If I may say so, I think you have treated him very badly. Если позволите (мне сказать), по-моему, вы с ним очень плохо обращались.

 

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