The modal verb can is in the past tense. Modal verb can. Negative and interrogative sentences with the verb Can. Rules for the formation of modal verbs can and could

Modal verb could has the meaning of probability or possibility in the past. It can be used to express requests and suggestions. Also verb could often used in conditional sentences as a conditional form of a verb can .

For example:
Extreme rain could cause the river to flood the city.
Due to heavy rains the river could flood the city. ( Expresses probability.)

Nancy could ski like a pro by the age of 11.
By the age of 11, Nancy was already knew how ski like a pro. ( Expresses a possibility in the past.)

You could see a movie or go out to dinner.
You we could watch a movie or go out to dinner. ( Expresses a proposal.)

Could I use your computer to email my boss?
Couldn't should I use your computer to send an email to my boss? ( Expresses a request.)

We could go on the trip if I didn't have to work this weekend.
We we could somewhere to go if I didn't have to work this weekend. ( Conditional offer.)

Using the modal verb could 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 could in different situations.

Please note that in the meaning of a request:

- can has a neutral shade:

Can can you help me?
You can help me?

- could has a more polite connotation:

Could can you help me?
Could you will you help me?

- may has a more formal tone:

May I come in?
Allow me to come in?

Can and its past form could are 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 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 took the place of the auxiliary verb in general issue. 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.

• May I take this cake? - No, you can’t. It's for guests. —Can I have some cake? - No, you can’t, this is for guests.

Could, as opposed to can, is used either as a more polite option or to express an action in the past. To indicate reproach, could + have +V3 is used:

• Look what you did! You could have been more careful! - Look what you've done! You could be more careful!

The modal verb can appears already on the first pages of elementary-level textbooks. Everyone knows that it means “I can, I can.” But not everyone knows that the functions of the verb can are not limited to this. In this article, we will go into detail about the uses and functions of the verb can and its past tense form (could).

Let's start with grammatical characteristics.

• The verbs can and could do not have third person singular endings: he can, she can.
• The verbs can and could do not need auxiliary verbs to form negative and interrogative forms: Can you...? Could he...?
• Negative form of the verb can: cannot. The full form is usually written in one word, together.
• Abbreviated negative form: can"t. In British English it is pronounced , in American English - [ kæ nt].
• Negative form of the verb could: couldn't’ t, pronounced ["kudnt].
• The verbs can and could do not have infinitive or participle forms. If there is a need to use these forms, use the equivalents of these modal verbs: be able, be allowed.
• Used after the verbs can and could semantic verb without the particle to.

Now let's talk about the meanings of the verb can (could).

Could is usually taken as the past tense form of the verb can:

He can ride a bike now, but he couldn’t ride two years ago. - He knows how to ride a bike, but two years ago he couldn’t.

I couldn't dance well, but after a few lessons I can dance better. - I couldn't dance well, but after a few lessons I can dance better.

In this article we look at the verbs can and could (as a form of can) and their common meanings, but it would be a mistake to assume that these verbs always mean the same thing.

Modal verb could acts as an independent modal verb, which has its own functions that deserve a separate article.

The main functions of the verb can (could):

Let's look at all these meanings.

1. Ability, skill (Can, could)

We can use the modal verb can when we talk about abilities related to knowledge, skills, strength, nature, and so on:

We can speak English very well. - We can speak English well.

Only Mike can open this door. - Only Mike knows how to open this door.

Cats can catch mice. - Cats can catch mice.

She can play the piano a bit. - She knows how to play the piano a little.

My bike can accelerate to 150 kph. - My motorcycle can accelerate to 150 km/h.

In addition, can is used to describe typical characteristics of something or someone:

This dog can bite. Don't come close to it. - It's the dog that bites. Don't come close to her.

My boss can be really furious. - My boss may lose his temper.

Summers can be very hot in our country. - In our country it can be very hot in the summer.

Can (could) is always used when talking about the ability to speak a language or mastery of musical instruments:

Can you speak Russian? - Do you speak Russian?

She can play the guitar. - She plays the guitar.

Can is used when talking about what is possible/impossible under certain circumstances:

I can't play the guitar. It's out of tune. - I can't play the guitar. She's upset.

They can go for a picnic because the weather is fine. - They can go on a picnic because the weather is good.

We can go to the cinema or we can go to the theatre. - We can go to the cinema or we can go to the theater.

Abilities and opportunities in the past are indicated by the modal verb could:

I could write when I was five. - I could write when I was five years old.

My mother could skate very well. - My mother knew how to skate very well.

We could play football for hours when we were children. - We could play football for hours when we were children.

2. Permission

In order to ask for permission, give permission or refuse permission, the verb can is used:

Can I ask you a question? - Can I ask you a question?

You can go out when you do your homework. - You can go for a walk when you finish your homework.

You can"t leave the room until the end of the exam. - You cannot leave the room until the exam is over.

When permission is denied, “mitigating” phrases are usually used:

I"m afraid you can"t enter this room. - I'm afraid you cannot enter this room.

Sorry, but you can't open the book. - I'm sorry, but you can't open the book.

Could can also be used to ask for permission. The question with could is more polite and formal than with can. However, could is not used to give or deny permission; can is used for that:

Could I read this letter? - Yes, of course you can. - Can I read this letter? - Sure you can.

Could I look at the documents? - No, I"m afraid you can"t. - Can I look at the documents? - I'm afraid not.

Can and could are also used when discussing any laws or established rules:

Only employees of our company can use the photocopier. - Only employees of our company can use the photocopier.

Can the pupils bring mobile phones to the lesson? - Can students bring mobile phones to class?

3. Requests

Can and could in questions like - Can/could you...?- can express a request. The difference between them is that could- a more formal form, more polite and less specific. If we compare their translations, then Can you...? will sound like "Can...?" or "Can you...?" A Could you...? : "Could you...?":

Can you help me translate this text? - Can you help me translate the text?

Could you tell me the way to the libtary? - Could you tell me how to get to the library?

4. Offers and suggestions

There are two types of offers: when you offer to do something for someone (this is a request) and when you offer to do something together (this is a suggestion).

If you want to offer to do something for someone (request), use I can or Can I...? . Question Can I...? has the same meaning as "Would you like me to...?" (Do you want me...?/Do you want me...?):

I can fix your car if you like. - I can fix your car if you want.

Can I wash the dishes? - Should I wash the dishes?

If your sentence is more of a hint and is vague, then use I could :

I could give you a few recommendations if you would like. - I could give you some recommendations if you want.

We could help you with transportation if you still need help. - We could help you with transportation if you still need help.

To suggest doing something together (suggestion), use We can/ we could, following the same rule: could- more formal and vague:

We can go to the gallery on Sunday. - We can go to the gallery on Sunday.

We could go to the gallery on Sunday. - We could go to the gallery on Sunday.

5. Can with verbs of perception

As you know, verbs of perception such as see, hear, taste, smell, feel. Therefore, to convey that the action is happening at the moment of speech, the modal verb can is used:

I can see you very well. - I see you very well.

I can"t hear you. I"ll call you later. - I can not hear you. I'll call you later.

6. Speculation

The verb can can be found in set expressions:

Can't help- to be unable to hold back

I can't help laughing when I watch this movie. - I can't help laughing when I watch this movie.

Can't stand- can't stand it

I can't stand boring people. - I can't stand boring people.

Can't say no- be unable to refuse

I can"t say no to your offer. - I can’t refuse your offer.

Can't wait- be unable to wait, burn with impatience

Children can't wait to go to the circus. - Children can't wait to go to the circus.

Don’t be intimidated by so many functions and meanings of the verb can, with practice it will become easier for you to distinguish between them, because you are already using most of them! To keep up to date with all the news on our website, we recommend that you subscribe to our newsletter and join us in

Verb can, past tense form could, is the most common of the modal verbs. Used with the infinitive of a semantic verb without a particle to. Full negative form cannot[" kxnOt ] (the only modal verb with which negative particle not written together). Short negative form can't.

Verb could in the context past tense means - " could, could,...etc. present or future tense could, could,... " and is used to express a more polite request or to express a greater degree of doubt

Verb can has a modal equivalent to be able, which is used with an infinitive with a particle to. In this combination ( to be+ adjective ablecapable) auxiliary to be can take any necessary temporary form: am/is/are present, was/were in the past, shall be / will be in future. Please note: equivalents cannot express probabilistic concepts (assumption, doubt, distrust, etc.).

Used:

1 For expression physical or mental ability, ability perform an action expressed by the infinitive - I can, I can .

Verb can used in present time and may relate to the present and future; could used in past time, and the verb to be able (to) can be used in all times. Verb can is used much more often, and their some semantic difference lies in the fact that the verb can means the possibility of performing an action generally, usually, constantly; and the verb to be able (to) means the possibility of performing a specific, single action at a specific moment. For example:

A) Affirmative form:

The present:

Regarding the future:

In relation to the past:

Note: form could + perfect infinitive expresses regret, what smb. action in the past was not fulfilled at the right time, the opportunity was not realized (same as with might ).

b) Interrogative form:

Note: In combination with verbs of feeling and perception: to seesee, to hearhear, to feelfeel etc. verb can usually not translated into Russian:

In relation to the past:

V) Negative form:

In relation to the past:

2 Verb can (could) V questions, requests, prohibitions And permissions.

In these cases, they can be used can, could And may. IN official style used may, V polite form could, V ordinary conversational, casual style – can.

A) IN interrogative sentence: question about permission to act or request.

The range of these questions and requests is extremely wide:

b) IN negative sentence: prohibition to perform an action expressed by the infinitive is often translated as " it is forbidden ". Cannot or, usually, can't– the most common and neutral form of prohibition, may not– more formal form, must not- a categorical prohibition.

V) IN affirmative sentence: permission perform an action expressed by an infinitive. Although the verb may and means " I authorize", having a touch of formality, and can means " you can physically", in modern spoken language usually used everywhere can.

The present:

Future - used to express future permission can (may not used in the future, but its equivalent can be used shall/will allowed)

Verb can (could) is used to express doubts, surprises, mistrust . It is used in these meanings only in interrogative and negative sentences with any form of the infinitive.

1 IN interrogative proposals: doubt, surprise - really .

Although in Russian can And could translation it's the same here -" really ", form could, as a form of the subjunctive mood, expresses high degree of doubt(less likely).

A) If the action applies by now , then it is used Continuous Infinitive, and with verbs not used in Continuous forms - a simple infinitive ( Indefinite Infinitive).

b) If the action applies to the past tense , then it is used Perfect Infinitive: can/could + perfect infinitive.

2 IN negative proposals: doubt, mistrust - it cannot be that; incredible .

A) can/could not + Indefinite /Continuous Infinitive expresses an action related to to the present time:

b) can/could not + Perfect Infinitive to the past :

Verb may has a past tense form might and is used with the infinitive of the semantic verb without a particle to.

Verb might in the context past tense means - " could, could,...etc. ". And used in context present or future tense is a form of the subjunctive mood (Subjunctive II)" could, could,... " and is used to express a more polite request or to express a greater degree of doubt. Full negative form may/might not, short negative form mayn't And mightn't.

Verb may has a modal equivalent to be allowed(passive verb) allow – allow, allow ), which is used with an infinitive with a particle to. It can be used both in the missing future tense and in any other tense.

Used:

1 For expression objective possibility perform an action expressed by the infinitive - I can, I can . In this meaning may used only in affirmative proposals with indefinite infinitive, relating to the present and future(A can does not have any restrictions).

It can also be used in the same meaning might, here - as a form of the subjunctive mood, making the supposed possibility less real.

Verb may, as well as can, can be used to express an objective possibility (a possibility depending on certain circumstances). Some difference is that the verb can implies a very real possibility, and the use may means, rather, a perceived possibility.

2 Verb may (might) V questions, requests, prohibitions And permissions. In these cases they can be used as may so and can. Verb may stylistically more formal, and can more often used in colloquial speech.

A) IN interrogative sentence: question about permission to act or request. In the sense of asking permission to do something yourself (or others).

In colloquial speech, permission can be expressed in another way: instead of a verb may verb used to do:

b) IN negative sentence: prohibition perform an action expressed by an infinitive.

May quite rarely used in negative answers to questions about permission. Most often found in answers can't or more categorical mustn't:

V) IN affirmative sentence: permission perform an action expressed by an infinitive. More often in official oral and writing; in spoken language - can.

The present:

Future: To express permission relating to the future, the phrase is used to be allowed (to):

Past: Past tense form might occurs in this meaning only in subordinate clauses(mainly in indirect speech) when the verb in the main part is in the past tense.

Simple sentences use its modal equivalent to be allowed (to):

3 For expression disapproval, reproach, condemnation – could (but didn't). In this case it is used only formmight V affirmative proposal.

A) might + Simple Infinitive- refers to present or future time. As in the Russian language, it has a double meaning: firstly, a reproach that something has not been done, is not being done; secondly, a frank hint that it’s time to do it.

b) might + Perfect Infinitive- refers to past . Expresses regret and irritation that some action was not performed at the right time (as with could).

Verb may (might) most often expresses assumption with a touch doubts, insecurities . In this sense it is used only in affirmative and negative sentences with any form of the infinitive (in interrogative probabilistic sentences used. can). Corresponds to Russian " maybe, maybe ". Might, as a form of the subjunctive mood, expresses a greater degree of doubt ( less confidence).

A) may/might(not) + Indefinite/Continuous Infinitive expresses an action related to present or future time:

Regarding the present with a simple infinitive (Indefinite) from verbs expressing a state or with a long infinitive (Continuous) from verbs expressing an action (it is assumed that the action occurs at the moment of speech).

Regarding the future used with a simple infinitive of verbs expressing action

In any sentence here may can be replaced by might, which will mean an even lower degree of confidence in the speaker's assumption. There is no such tool in Russian and the translation will sound the same (if you do not resort to additional tricks).

b) may/might(not) + Perfect Infinitive expresses an action related to to the past :

must- It has only one form - the present tense. In a sentence, it refers to an action performed in the present or future tense. It is followed by the infinitive of the semantic verb without a particle to.

Expresses:

a) the need to perform an action due to personal conviction, due to circumstances, moral principles, etc. - must, must, must ;

b) assumption, bordering on confidence - it should probably be .

1 IN affirmative And interrogative proposals related to present or future, only with a simple infinitive, must expresses obligation, necessity perform an action.

A ) In affirmative sentences:

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 in different types of sentences.

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?

   Watch an 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.

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Using the modal verb can (could)