Short sentences with the word could

 Функции модального глагола can

Мо­даль­ный гла­гол can – это один из наи­бо­лее часто ис­поль­зу­е­мых мо­даль­ных гла­го­лов в ан­глий­ском языке. Он может вы­ра­жать:

спо­соб­ность и ве­ро­ят­ность дей­ствия (ability and possibility);

При­мер:

She can drive a car.

John can speak Spanish.

Can you hear me?

I can’t help you.

прось­бу и рас­по­ря­же­ние (requests and orders);

При­мер:

Can you get me a cup of coffee?

спрос и раз­ре­ше­ние на вы­пол­не­ние ка­ко­го-ли­бо дей­ствия (asking or givingpermission).

При­мер:

Can I park here?

No. But you can park over there.

Се­год­ня мы рас­смот­рим мо­даль­ный гла­гол can, ко­то­рый вы­ра­жа­ет спо­соб­ность или ве­ро­ят­ность вы­пол­не­ния дей­ствия.

Что же зна­чит «спо­соб­ность» или «ве­ро­ят­ность»? В ан­глий­ском языке “ability” озна­ча­ет ‘having the skill, the power or the means to do smth’. Дру­ги­ми сло­ва­ми, это ум­ствен­ная или фи­зи­че­ская воз­мож­ность/спо­соб­ность вы­пол­нить опре­де­лен­ное дей­ствие. Гла­гол can в дан­ном слу­чае пе­ре­во­дит­ся на рус­ский язык как «мочь» или «уметь» (рис. 1).

При­мер:

Maria can cook. – Мария умеет го­то­вить.

Penguins can’t fly. But they can swim very well. – Пинг­ви­ны неумеют ле­тать. Но они умеют очень хо­ро­шо пла­вать.

I can speak three languages. – Я могу го­во­рить на трех язы­ках.

We can see the lake from our bedroom window. – Мы можем ви­деть озеро из окна нашей спаль­ни.

Рис. 1

 Модальный глагол can: построение утвердительных, отрицательных и вопросительных предложений

Так как can – это мо­даль­ный гла­гол, он не может вы­сту­пать в роли са­мо­сто­я­тель­но­го ска­зу­е­мо­го в пред­ло­же­нии. Он лишь до­пол­ня­ет ос­нов­ное дей­ствие, по­это­му струк­ту­ра пред­ло­же­ния с гла­го­лом can будет сле­ду­ю­щей:

Subject + can + bare infinitive (ин­фи­ни­тив без ча­сти­цы to)

При­мер:

I can ride a bike. (NOT I can to ride a bike./I canriding a bike.)

По­ми­мо этого, can не из­ме­ня­ет­ся в 3-м лице един­ствен­но­го числа (the 3^rd person singular).

Срав­ним пред­ло­же­ния:

He dances well.

и

He can dance well. (NOT He cans dance well./He can dances well.)

Для об­ра­зо­ва­ния от­ри­ца­тель­нойформы (a negative structure), к гла­го­луcan необ­хо­ди­мо до­ба­вить от­ри­ца­тель­ную ча­сти­цу not.

Can + not = cannot/can’t

При­мер:

He cannot play tennis.

I can’t help you.

Ино­гда можно встре­тить раз­дель­ное на­пи­са­ние can и ча­сти­цы not = cannot. Чаще всего это ис­поль­зу­ет­ся для уси­ле­ния от­ри­ца­ния (рис. 2).

При­мер:

I cannot stand you.

No, she cannot come to the party.

Рис. 2

Так как can вы­сту­па­ет в роли вспо­мо­га­тель­но­го гла­го­ла, то при со­став­ле­нии во­про­са (aquestion) его нужно по­ста­вить в на­ча­ло пред­ло­же­ния.

Рис. 3

При­мер:

Can you help me?

Can she swim?

Также во­прос может на­чи­нать­ся с от­ри­ца­ния.

При­мер:

Can’t you see me?

Can’t they be a bit quieter?

Од­на­ко в дан­ном слу­чае can’t вы­ра­жа­ет удив­ле­ние или недо­воль­ство, по­это­му пред­ло­же­ния будут пе­ре­во­дить­ся сле­ду­ю­щим об­ра­зом:

Can’t you see me? – Разве ты меня не ви­дишь?

Can’t they be a bit quieter? – Они что, не могут вести себя по­ти­ше?

 Практическое задание

Complete the sentences with can or can’t.

1. I                  write and talk at the same time.

2. Spiderman                  climb up walls.

3. I’m right-handed. I                  write with my left hand.

4.              you usually remember your dreams?

5. Alice                  walk very well. She is only 10 months old.

6. He                  drive a car, because he has a driver’s license.

От­ве­ты к упраж­не­нию:

1. can

2. can

3. can’t

4. can

5. can’t

6. can

 Сan для выражения будущего времени

У гла­го­ла can толь­ко две формы – на­сто­я­щая (can/can’t) и про­шед­шая (could). Од­на­ко есть слу­чаи, когда гла­гол can может вы­ра­жать и бу­ду­щее время. Это воз­мож­но толь­ко в со­че­та­нии с на­ре­чи­я­ми, обо­зна­ча­ю­щи­ми бу­ду­щее время: tomorrow, soon, nextyear, etc.

При­мер:

—  Can you help with my homework? (Present)

— Sorry. I’m busy today. But I can help you tomorrow. (Future)

We can visit your granny next week (рис. 4).

Can you call me next Friday?

Рис. 4

 Модальный глагол could

Could – это про­шед­шая форма мо­даль­но­го гла­го­ла can. Она нужна нам для опи­са­ния спо­соб­но­стей об­ще­го ха­рак­те­ра в про­шлом.

При­мер:

Her grandma could swim very well.

When I was a kid, I could do whatever I wanted.

He could help me, but did nothing.

От­ри­ца­тель­ная форма (the negative structure) также об­ра­зу­ет­ся путем до­бав­ле­ния ча­сти­цы not.

Could + not = couldn’t

При­мер:

We couldn’t buy the ticket because we didn’t have enough money.

He couldn’t sing at all.

I couldn’t understand what was going on.

Для об­ра­зо­ва­ния во­про­сов (questions) необ­хо­ди­мо по­ста­вить could перед под­ле­жа­щим.

При­мер:

Could you ride a bike when you were five?

Could you hear the fireworks from your house last night?

Could you speak English last year?

 Практическое задание

Complete the sentences with can, could, can’t or couldn’t.

1. When I was young, I                 eat anything I liked, I never got fat.

2. I’m an interpreter. I                speak 7 different languages.

3.  I                 drive very well. I failed my test again today.

4. I crashed my car so bad that the mechanic                 fix it.

5. She                 ride a motorbike, but she knows how to drive a car.

6.           some dinosaurs walk on two legs?

От­ве­ты к упраж­не­нию:

1. could

2. can

3. can’t

4. couldn’t

5. can’t

6. could

 To be able to: построение утвердительных, отрицательных и вопросительных предложений

To be able to также вы­ра­жа­ет спо­соб­ность/ве­ро­ят­ность. При­ла­га­тель­ное “able” обо­зна­ча­ет ‘having the power, skill or means to do something’. Если мы го­во­рим “I am able to swim”, мы имеем в виду“I can swim”.

Неко­то­рое смыс­ло­вое раз­ли­чие между двумя гла­го­ла­ми за­клю­ча­ет­ся в том, что гла­гол can озна­ча­ет воз­мож­ность со­вер­ше­ния дей­ствия во­об­ще, обыч­но, по­сто­ян­но. А гла­гол to be able to озна­ча­ет воз­мож­ность со­вер­ше­ния кон­крет­но­го, еди­нич­но­годей­ствия в кон­крет­ный мо­мент.

При­мер:

I can swim across this river. – Я могу пе­ре­плыть эту реку. (во­об­ще)

I amableto swim across this river. – Я в со­сто­я­нии пе­ре­плыть эту реку. (сей­час, когда это необ­хо­ди­мо)

Струк­ту­ра гла­го­ла to be able to сле­ду­ю­щая:

subject + be +able+infinitive

Утвер­ди­тель­ные пред­ло­же­ния (affirmative sentences) сto be able to стро­ят­ся по сле­ду­ю­щей схеме (см. Таб­ли­цу 1):

kind	subject	be (main verb)	able (adjective)	infinitive
+	I	am	able	to drive.
He, she	is
You, we, they	are

Таб­ли­ца 1. По­стро­е­ние утвер­ди­тель­ных пред­ло­же­ний сto be able to

Для об­ра­зо­ва­ния от­ри­ца­тель­ных пред­ло­же­ний (negative sentences) после гла­го­ла to be в нуж­ной форме необ­хо­ди­мо по­ста­вить от­ри­ца­тель­ную ча­сти­цу not (см. Таб­ли­цу 2)

kind	subject	be (main verb)	able (adjective)	infinitive
—	I	am not	able	to drive.
He, she	isn’t
You, we, they	aren’t

Таб­ли­ца 2. По­стро­е­ние от­ри­ца­тель­ных пред­ло­же­ний сto be able to

Для со­став­ле­ния во­про­сов (questions) гла­гол to be в нуж­ной форме необ­хо­ди­мо вы­не­сти перед под­ле­жа­щим (см. Таб­ли­цу 3).

kind	be (main verb)	subject	able (adjective)	infinitive
?	Am	I	able	to drive?
Is	he, she
Are	we, you, they

Таб­ли­ца 3. По­стро­е­ние от­ри­ца­тель­ных пред­ло­же­ний с to be able to

В от­ли­чие от can или could мо­даль­ный гла­голto be able to может ис­поль­зо­вать­ся во всех вре­ме­нах (Present, Past, Future) (см. Таб­ли­цу 4)

Present Simple	Past Simple	Future Simple
I am able to come	I/He/ She was able to come	I/He/She/We/You/They will be able to come
He/ She is able to come	We/You/They were able to come
We/You/They are able to come

Таб­ли­ца 4. Упо­треб­ле­ние to be able to во вре­ме­нах груп­пы Simple

Отличие can от will be able to

Мы уже го­во­ри­ли о том, что can нель­зя ис­поль­зо­вать в бу­ду­щем вре­ме­ни для обо­зна­че­ния фи­зи­че­ской или ум­ствен­ной спо­соб­но­сти. Ис­клю­че­ния со­став­ля­ют пред­ло­же­ния со сло­ва­ми tomorrow, nextyear и т. д. Для всех осталь­ных слу­ча­ев в бу­ду­щем вре­ме­ни ис­поль­зу­ет­ся струк­ту­ра to be able to.

При­мер:

Он смо­жет хо­дить уже через два ме­ся­ца. – He will be able to walk in two months. (NOT He can walk in two months.)

Я смогу бегло го­во­рить по-ис­пан­ски к концу года. – I’ll be able to speak Spanish fluently by the end of the year. (NOT I can speak Spanish fluently by the end of the year.)

 Отличие could от was/were able to

Также есть осо­бен­но­сти упо­треб­ле­ния could и wasableto.

Мо­даль­ный гла­гол could может упо­треб­лять­ся толь­ко в зна­че­нии «мог», но он не упо­треб­ля­ет­ся в зна­че­нии смог.

При­мер:

We could finish work earlier last Tuesday. – Мы могли за­кон­чить ра­бо­ту рань­ше в про­шлый втор­ник. (То есть у нас была такая воз­мож­ность, но мы ею не вос­поль­зо­ва­лись).

I couldn’t lock the door yesterday. – Я вчера не мог за­крыть дверь. (Мы не знаем, за­крыл он ее в итоге или нет).

Was able to, на­о­бо­рот, пе­ре­да­ет за­кон­чен­ность дей­ствия и на рус­ский язык пе­ре­во­дит­ся гла­го­лом «смог».

При­мер:

We were able to finish work earlier last Tuesday. – Мы смог­ли за­кон­чить ра­бо­ту рань­ше в про­шлый втор­ник. (Они ушли с ра­бо­ты по­рань­ше).

I wasn’t able to lock the door yesterday. – Я вчера не смог за­крыть дверь. (То есть, он так ее и не за­крыл).

Таким об­ра­зом, мы будем стро­го упо­треб­лять to be able to в двух слу­ча­ях: при опи­са­нии фи­зи­че­ских или ум­ствен­ных воз­мож­но­стей и спо­соб­но­стей в бу­ду­щем вре­ме­ни, а также при опи­са­нии за­кон­чен­ных дей­ствий в про­шлом. Во всех осталь­ных слу­ча­ях чаще встре­ча­ет­ся can или could.

 Практическое задание

Complete the sentences with the correct word.

1.                 you able to come to the pub tonight?

2. Jack was an excellent tennis player. He                         beat anybody.

3. I think my computer’s broken. I’m not                         to send any emails.

4. Sandra                         drive but she doesn’t have a car.

5. One day I                         run a marathon, but I need to practice first.

6. I was feeling sick yesterday. I                    eat anything.

7. I                         come and see you tomorrow if you like.

8. Will she                          cope with the work?

9.             you hear the music?

10.  The ambulance arrived quickly and they                         save everyone.

11.  I                   answer this question, it’s too hard.

12.  Although I woke up 40 minutes late, I                         get to work on time.

От­ве­ты к упраж­не­нию:

1. are

2. could

3. able

4. can

5. will be able to

6. couldn’t

7. can

8. be able to

9. can

10. were able to

11. can’t

12. was able to

 Сan с глаголами чувств и восприятия

Рис. 5

В со­че­та­нии с гла­го­ла­ми чувств и вос­при­я­тия та­ки­ми как to see, to hear, to feel и др. (рис. 5) гла­го­лы can и could обыч­но не пе­ре­во­дят­ся на рус­ский язык.

При­мер:

I can see him. – Я его вижу.

Can you hear the music? – Ты слы­шишь му­зы­ку?

I can’t feel a thing. – Я ни­че­го не чув­ствую.

When we went into the house, we could smell burning. – Когда мы зашли в дом, мы по­чув­ство­ва­ли запах гари.

Could in Present Tense

Рис. 6

 Could in Present Tense

Необ­хо­ди­мо от­ме­тить, что часто could также упо­треб­ля­ет­ся и в на­сто­я­щем вре­ме­ни в слу­ча­ях, когда нам надо что-то веж­ли­во по­про­сить (рис. 6).

При­мер:

Could I borrow your pencil? – Могу ли я взять ваш ка­ран­даш?

Could you close the window please? – Ты не мог бы за­крыть окно?

Вопросы к конспектам

image source

	CAN/COULD (AFFIRMATIVE)	CANNOT/COULD NOT (NEGATIVE)	BE ABLE TO (AFFIRMATIVE)	BE ABLE TO (NEGATIVE)
PAST ABILITY	He could run very fast when he was a child.	He couldn’t run very fast when he was a child.	He was able to run very fast when he was a child.	He wasn’t able to run very fast when he was a child.
PAST REPEATED ACTIONS	I could run marathons when I was younger.	I couldn’t run marathons when I was younger.	I was able to run marathons when I was younger.	I wasn’t able to run marathons when I was younger.
PAST SINGLE ACTION, STATIVE VERB	She could feel the wind on her face.	She couldn’t feel the wind on her face.	She was able to feel the wind on her face.	She wasn’t able to feel the wind on her face.
PAST SINGLE ACTION, ACTION VERB	NOT POSSIBLE!	I couldn’t get to the airport on time because of the traffic.	I was able to get to the airport on time, even though the traffic was bad.	I wasn’t able to get to the airport on time because of the traffic.
PRESENT ABILITY	He can speak Portuguese fluently.	He can’t speak Portuguese very well.	He is able to speak Portuguese fluently.	He isn’t able to speak Portuguese.
FUTURE ABILITY OR SKILL	NOT POSSIBLE!	NOT POSSIBLE!	When you pass your driving test, you will be able to drive your own car.	You will not be able to drive your own car if you don’t pass your driving test.
FUTURE DECISIONS AND ARRANGEMENTS	You can speak to the Director next week.	The Director cannot speak to you tomorrow.	The Director will be able to speak to you next week.	The Director won’t be able to speak to you tomorrow.

Can and could are modal auxiliary verbs which express ability, permission, request, offer or possibility.

Could is originally the past form of can, but it also has certain functions which can does not, for example, it is used in hypothetical conditions.

Examples:

• She can speak English very well. (ability)
• I could ride a bike, but I couldn’t swim when I was seven years old. (ability)
• You can have a coffee break after you type these letters. (permission)
• Could I have some more salad with the meat? (request)
• Can I help you? Can I carry your bag? (offer)
• It could rain this afternoon. (possibility)
• This can’t be true. (negative possibility)
• We could get there in time if you were driving a bit faster. (hypothesis + ability/possibility)

Can and could are also used to express the progressive (continuous) aspect of verbs of perception (see, hear, feel, taste, smell, etc.) and verbs like understand, remember, etc:

Examples:

• Can you see the woman standing over there?
• We were so near the sea that I could hear the seagulls.
• When she entered the kitchen, she could smell something burning.
• I put my keys to a safe place before swimming, but now I can’t remember where.
• She couldn’t understand what the foreigner was saying.

As the past form of can, could is used for general ability in the past and in reported speech.

Examples:

• • When she was younger, she could work for ten hours without stopping.
  • He said he could get his wife to come to the football with us.

It is not used when only one occasion is implied, except for negative sentences:

Examples:

• How many goals were you able to score on Sunday?
• They managed to get to the station in ten minutes by taking a taxi.
• I was able to find all the words in the dictionary, still I couldn’t translate the text.

In requests, orders and suggestions, could is more polite than can:

Examples:

• Can I use your phone?
• Could you please do me a favour?
• Do you think you could help me for a few minutes?
• Do the washing first, then you can clean your room.
• When you’ve finished the letter, you could translate this article, if you like.
• If you haven’t got anything to do this afternoon, you could clean the car.

When we ask for permission, could is more polite than can. Could is not used to give or refuse permission:

Examples:

• Can/Could I ask you something? – Yes, of course you can.
• You can go now if you want to.
• Can I stay here for another hour? – No, I’m afraid you can’t.

По правилам «классического» английского языка, глагол

may

должен был употребляться для выражения возможности

вследствие разрешения

, а глагол can выражал физическую возможность (употреблять его для выражения возможности в результате разрешения считалось неправильным). В современном языке это правило практически не соблюдается и can употребляется для выражения возможности как вследствие физической способности, так и вследствие разрешения. Глагол

may

сейчас выражает разрешение в основном в формальном стиле. Глагол

may

также выражал и физическую возможность (в определенной степени и это значение сейчас немного устарело и часто характерно для формальной речи, но в ряде случаев вполне сохранилось и в разговорной речи, в первую очередь в отношении формы

might

). Кроме того

may/might

и can/could употребляются для выражения предположений.

I. CAN: ВОЗМОЖНОСТЬ СОВЕРШИТЬ ДЕЙСТВИЕ

4.87

Глагол can выражает возможность совершить действие, как вследствие физической способности, так и вследствие разрешения (здесь значение «пересекается» со значением глагола may).

1.

Физическая

способность совершить действие

a) способность, полученная в результате знаний, умения, физической силы и т.п. (= I am able to = I have the ability to):

I can use a typewriter perfectly now.
He’s over eighty but can still read without glasses.
She can make all her own dresses.
He can speak English.
Can you speak Swedish?
Dogs can’t climb trees.
Can you lift this box?
Henry can lift 100 kilos.
My car can do 180 kph.
I can read Italian, but I can’t speak it.
I can’t visit you every day.
Can you translate this book?
The child is ten years old but can’t read yet.
These roses can grow anywhere.
Can gases freeze?

b) возможность в связи со

сложившимися обстоятельствами

(=I am able to=I have the chance to и =I am able to=I am free to):

We can go to Paris this weekend, because I don’t have to work.
There are three possibilities: we can go to the police, we can talk to a lawyer, or we can forget all about it.
We can sit at home and watch football matches in comfort, thanks to television.
Come when you like. I can see you at any time.
Anybody who wants to can join the club.
I can’t come out this evening: I have to see my brother.

3. Can может употребляться с глаголами физического восприятия (see, hear, feel, smell, taste) и некоторыми другими глаголами для выражения происходящего в настоящий момент:

I (саn) hear a dog barking somewhere.
I (can) see Susan coming.
What did you put in the stew? I (can) taste something funny.
I can’t/don’t understand what she’s talking about.
Do/Can you follow what he’s saying?
I (can) remember your grandfather.

4. Can часто опускается, когда речь идет о способности говорить на каком-либо языке или играть на музыкальных инструментах:

She speaks Greek. / She can speak Greek.
Do/Can you play the piano?

5. Can употребляется в просьбах, а также в значении «могу ли…» при предложении чем-то помочь (здесь «примешивается» и желание получить разрешение):

Can you wait a moment, please?
Dan, can you help me, please?
Can I have these shoes, please? (в магазине)
Can you come to the meeting tomorrow?
Саn you lend me three shillings?
Can I get you lemonade? – That’s very nice of you.
Can I help you, sir? – No thank you. I’m being served.
Can I carry your bag? – Oh, thank you.

6. С помощью предложений с вопросительными наречиями можно выразить неудовольствие:

What can he mean?

(Похожим образом звучат предложения с ever, on earth, in the world, the devil: What ever does he mean? What on earth does he mean? What in the world does he want?)

7. Когда употребление can

грамматически невозможно

(за неимением у всех модальных глаголов инфинитива и причастий) можно употреблять be able to:

What have you been able to find out? (не ‘What have you could… ?’)
I might be able to help you. (не ‘I might can… ’)
He hasn’t been able to work recently.
She might not be able to fly to London.
He used to be able to speak German well.
Не seems (to be) quite unable to give up his bad habits.
Не seemed (to be) unable to give up his bad habits.

8. Be able to может употребляться и просто как замена can. Can предпочтительнее, чем be able to

a) когда говорится о чем-то, что происходит

в момент речи

:

Watch me, Mum; I can stand on one leg. (не ‘…I’m able to stand on one leg’.)
I can see a ship. (более естественно, чем I am able to see a ship.)

b) с глаголами в форме

пассивного залога

:

CDs can now be copied easily (лучше, чем ‘CDs are now able to be copied…’)
He can’t be understood. (лучше, чем ‘He’s not able to be understood’.)

c) со значением

«знать/уметь как…»

:

Can you cook? (более естественно, чем ‘Are you able to cook?’)

ПРОШЛОЕ

4.88

1. Could употребляется для выражения способности что-то делать в прошлом, только если из контекста (например, есть другой глагол в форме прошедшего времени) очевидно, что речь идет именно о прошлом:

She could read Latin when she was twelve!
Не could speak German well when he was young, but he has forgotten most of his German now.
It could be quite frightening if you were alone in our big old house.
She could read when she was four.
My grandmother could sing like an angel (можно догадаться, что это было в прошлом).
My last car could do 200 kph (слово ‘last’ указывает на прошлое).
In those days everybody could find a job (обстоятельство ‘in those days’ указывает на прошлое).

Можно употреблять was/were able to:

She was able to read when she was four.

2. Could употребляется в придаточных предложениях и косвенной речи:

Can you help me? – What did you say? – I asked if you could help me.
Can you give me a hand? – What? – I asked if you could give me a hand.
You could get a better job if you spoke a foreign language.
I told you I could use a typewriter.
I told him I could help him.

3. Can/could выражает именно

возможность

что-либо совершить, поэтому, как правило, не употребляется для выражениях законченных в прошлом отдельных действий. В отношении таких действий could выражает сослагательность:

Тоm could pass the examination, we all were sure of that (Том мог сдать и мы были в этом уверены, но предложение не означает, что он его действительно сдал).
Tom could pass the examination (Том мог бы сдать экзамен, но тоже не значит, что он его сдал).

Для выражения законченных действий в прошлом можно употреблять

a) просто Past Simple:

I found a really nice dress in the sale. (не ‘I could find… ’)
Torn passed the examination.
Harry swam across the river.
Аnn didn’t catch her train.

(could в таких предложениях не употребляется)

b) manage (предполагает трудности, которые пришлось преодолеть) и succeed:

I managed to run 10 km yesterday. (не ‘I could run 10 km
yesterday… ’ )
I managed to buy a really nice coat yesterday. (не ‘I could buy a really nice
coat yesterday’.)
After six hours’ climbing, we succeeded in getting to the top of the mountain. (не ’… we could get to the top… ’ )
Torn succeeded in passing the examination.
Harry managed to swim across the river.
Anne didn’t manage to catch the train.
Did you manage to get to the top of the mountain?
How did you manage to get here in time?
I managed to get /succeeded in getting all my clothes into the suitcase.

c) обороты с get

Не got it done. (‘Не could get it done’ означает, что он мог бы это сделать).

d) оборот be able to:

I was able to pass the examination.
How many eggs were you able to get? (не ‘…could you get?’)

4. Но could можно употреблять, выражая, что что-то не случилось в конкретном случае в прошлом

a) с глаголами see, hear, smell, taste, feel, understand, remember:

I could smell something burning.
I could understand everything she said.
Не could smell something burning.
Suddenly she realised she could smell something burning.
He spoke so quickly that I couldn’t understand him at all.
Though I was sitting in the last row, I could see the film well.
I could not hear him.

b) в отношении единичного случая в придаточном предложении:

I’m so glad that you could come.

c) при употреблении отрицательной формы couldn’t:

I managed to find the street, but I couldn’t find her house.
Не said he couldn’t come to the meeting.
The box was so heavy that I couldn’t lift it.
I tried to lift the box but couldn’t.
Не said he was sorry he couldn’t lend me the money.

d) с наречиями hardly и only (так как они также имеют негативный оттенок).

She could hardly believe her eyes. I could only get six eggs.

5. Употребляется can’t, а не couldn’t, когда речь идет о том, что невозможно:

There can’t be many people in the world who haven’t watched television.
The doctor can’t see you this morning; he’s busy at the hospital.

6. Could+have+past participle указывает на

неосуществленную

в прошлом возможность:

The President was always available. We could see him at any time (мы могли его видеть)
You never came to see me. Why not? You could have seen me at any time (ты мог, но не делал).

Не could easily have done it.
You could have caught the train if you had hurried.
I could have married anybody I wanted to.
I was so angry I could have killed her!
Why did you jump out of the window? You could have hurt yourself.
I could have won the race if I hadn’t fallen.
I could have kissed her if I’d wanted to.

Так можно выразить

неудовольствие

:

You could have helped me — why did you just sit and watch?
You could have told me you were getting married.

Отрицательное предложение показывает, что возможности что-то сделать не было вообще:

I couldn’t have won, so I didn’t go in for the race.
I couldn’t have enjoyed myself more — it was a perfect day.

Такая конструкция иногда может выражать и

предположение

:

Who sent those flowers? – I’m not sure. It could have been your mother.

Предложение может относиться к

настоящему времени

:

He could have been Prime Minister now if he hadn’t decided to leave politics.
We could have spent today at the seaside, but we thought it was going to
rain, so we decided not to.

□ Иногда употребляется can+have+past participle:

I don’t know where she can have gone.

7. Was/were able to предпочтительнее, когда речь идет о единичном достижении в прошлом, а не способности вообще (в этом случае можно употреблять и could и was/were able to):

She swam strongly and was able to cross the river easily, even though it was swollen by the heavy rain (не‘ She swam strongly and could cross… ’)
He didn’t want to buy a new suit but at last we were able to persuade him.
She wasn’t able to pass the exam.

Sue could play the flute quite well/ Sue was able to play… (способность вообще)

Отрицательную форму couldn’t можно употреблять в обоих случаях:

He couldn’t play tennis.
We couldn’t persuade him to buy a new suit.

8. Could звучит естественнее

a) в отрицательных предложениях:

I tried to get up but I couldn’t move (естественнее, чем ‘…I wasn’t able to move’.)

b) с глаголами физического восприятия (feel, hear, see, smell, taste) и выражающими умственную деятельность (believe, decide, remember, understand и т.п.):

I could remember the crash, but nothing after that (естественнее, чем ‘I was able to remember…’)

c) после the only thing/place/time и all, со значением ‘the only thing’:

All we could see were his feet. (естественнее, чем ‘All we were able to…’)

d) выражая идею что что-то чуть не случилось, особенно с наречиями almost, hardly, just, nearly:

I could nearly touch the ceiling (естественнее, чем ‘I was nearly able to…’)

Сегодня мы поработаем над модальными глаголами и, в частности над глаголом can. Вначале мы рассмотрим употребление can и выполним can упражнения для детей, а затем перейдем к более сложным аспектам – употребление can и could для выражения вероятности, а также отработаем употребление конструкции be able to вместо can.

Can упражнения для детей. Can exercises.

Упражнение 1. Write in can or can’t.

1. I _______ draw.
2. I _______  
3. My friends_______ roller-skate.
4. My granddad _______sing.
5. I_______ ride a bike.
6. My mum _______ski.
7. My dad _______skate.
8. My pet _______play football.

Упражнение 2. Answer the questions.

1. Can you roller-skate?
2. Can your mum dance tango?
3. Can your dad draw very well?
4. Can your friends play tennis?
5. Can your granny speak English?
6. Can you sing very well?

Упражнение 3. Постарайся составить как можно больше вопросов. Три из них напиши.

Сап

you he the horse the hare

see that elephant? take those bears? play with these toys? jump? run?

Упражнение 4. What can or can’t you do in these places? Make sentence.  Use You can / You can’t

buy flowers buy bread and cakes buy medicine wash your clothes buy meat

butcher’s baker’s florist’s launderette chemist’s

Упражнения на can и could.

Помните, could – это прошедшее время от can!

Упражнение 5. Underline the correct option.

1. Can/Could Sally learn a long poem by heart when she was four?
2. When Mrs. Rover was a teenager she couldn’t/can’t play the piano.
3. John says he could/can speak French perfectly well.
4. What can/could Melody do when she was nine?
5. Yesterday Molly couldn’t/can’t borrow a book from the local library because she hadn’t returned another one.
6. Rita said she couldn’t/can’t learn that because she was busy.

Упражнение 6.  Fill in can / can’t/ could/ couldn’t.

1) You don’t need to shout. I ______ hear you perfectly well. 2) We______ go to safari because the trip was too expensive. 3) He eats in restaurants because he ______ cook. 4) I had an aisle seat on the plane, so I ______see the landscape below. 5) When we used to live in China, I______ speak some Chinese, but now I______ say a word. 6) ______ you play the piano at the age of six? 7) He______ speak English so fast that I______understand him (now). I’m afraid, Nickolas ______talk to you now.  He has to arrive at school in time. 9) I______get a good mark in Literature because I didn’t know the theme. 10) I______retell my friend the whole story because I had read it.

Упражнение 7. Put the words in the correct order to make sentences.

1. Mark / seven / by / could / speak / foreign / of / age / fifteen / languages / well / the / perfectly.
2. phone / use /mobile / a / you / when / you / were / four / Could?
3. my / girl / mum / swim / was / little / a / well / When / she / could.
4. age / the / is / three / Nobody / to / climb / trees / at / of / able.

Упражнения на can, could и be able to.

Упражнение 8. Вставьте will be able или won’t be able + to

1. When her sight is better, Melody ________ play the guitar again.
2. Max _________ eat sugar when the GP allows him.
3. The couple _________ catch the morning bus if they don’t get up much earlier.
4. Sally _________ go out to discos until she is 16.
5. Andy _________ hear better if he sits in the front row.

Упражнение. 9

A) can B) could D) couldn’t E) be able to C) can’t

1. Mark stepped aside so that Molly _________ go in.
2. Peter and Greg ________ catch fish as they had fish hooks.
3. Sandy used to _________ speak Norwegian well.
4. Megan ________lie comfortably as the raft was small.
5. Meredith _________ wash her hair as she hadn’t bought shampoo.
6. Mary _________ stop crying then.
7. When Megan was an infant, she_________only cry.
8. In a year, Melody will_________ speak Chinese.
9. The information _________ be true! I don’t believe Nickolas.
10. Jane ________read any of the books she’d borrowed from Greg.
11. Melody’s brother__________ understand her ambitions.
12. Why don’t you ask Sally? Sally might _________ help you.
13. Benny ________walk because of sharp pain in his left foot, that’s why he got a taxi.
14. Bob wasn’t ________ make his decision yesterday.

Упражнение 10. Вставьте can, could, be able to в нужной форме.

1. Michael __________now speak Norwegian rather fluently.
2. Michael used to _________ speak Norwegian rather fluently.
3. Nick __________marry Lisa, but he__________make her love him.
4. Sally used to__________eat a kilo of chocolate for lunch.
5. Megan’d like to __________ surf very well.
6. Luckily Melody __________find a taxi.
7. Jillian __________drive when she was 12.
8. Megan sighed. Fred __________ feel her hands shaking.
9. The secretary ________ to type 150 words a minute.
10. Children ________ enter this territory. It’s highly dangerous!

Упражнение 11.  Translate the words in brackets. Используйте  can или  be able в нужной форме.

1. Children (нельзя) discuss such things.
2. Certainly, Nick (мог) translate that article.
3. (мог бы) Nick show me that? (polite)
4. Molly (не могла) wait for us.
5. You (можете) get there in 10 minutes.
6. The swimmer (смог) reach the sea shore.
7. Steven (мог) work fifteen hours a day before his illness

Упражнения на can / could + нужная форма инфинитива.

Упражнение 12. Find the right option.

1. Seventeen people looked at each other and no one _________ words to say.
2. a) could have found b) could find
3. The wind was still blowing but Philip _____________ no sound of rain.
4. a) could have heard b) could hear
5. The police were quite sure that nobody __________ house before they got there.
6. a) could leave b) could have left
7. We ______________ anything definite out of their neighbors.
8. a) couldn’t get b) couldn’t have got

Упражнение 13. Вставьте could + нужную форму инфинитива.

1. If Greg had prepared all the documents, he _____________ (get) a credit.
2. Greg ___________ (be) there tomorrow.
3. Greg ____________ (be) there yesterday.
4. If Molly had told us about her delay, we _________ (cancel) the meeting.
5. Yesterday Greg _________ (crash).

Can / could для выражения вероятности.

Упражнение 14. Выразите сомнения при помощи can/could.

1. Едва ли Салли была дома.
2. Возможно, он навестит бывшую жену, когда приедет в Сочи.
3. Разве Николас мог такое сказать?
4. Разве Катерина отказалась ехать с тобой?
5. Василий мог бы заехать завтра.
6. Салли не могла так быстро прочесть роман.
7. Не может быть, что Грег попал в аварию.

Ответы к упражнениям.

Exercises 1 – 4 – your own answers.

Exercise 5.

1 -> Could, 2 -> couldn’t, 3 -> can, 4 -> could, 5 -> couldn’t, 6 -> couldn’t

Exercise 6.

1 -> can, 2 -> couldn’t, 3 -> can’t 4 ->couldn’t, 5 -> could / can’t, 6 -> Could, 7 -> can / can’t, 8 -> can’t, 9 couldn’t, 10 ->could

Exercise 8.

1, 2, 5 -> will be able + to,

3, 4 -> won’t be able + to,

Exercise 9.

1b, 2b, 3e, 4d, 5d, 6d, 7b, 8e, 9c, 10a или 10с, 11d или 11с, 12e, 13d, 14e

Exercise 10.

1 can, 2  be able to, 3 can / can’t, 4 be able to, 5 be able to, 6 was able to, 7 could, 8 could, 9 is able, 10 can’t

Exercise 11.

1 –> can’t,

2 –> could,

3 –> could

4 –> couldn’t

5 –> can

6 –> was able to

7 –> could

Exercise 12.

1b, 2b, 3b, 4b

Exercise 13.

Could have got / could be / could have been или could be / could have cancelled / could have crached

Exercise 14.

1. Sally can’t или couldn’t + have been at home.
   2. He can visit his ex-wife when he comes to Sochi.
   3. Can / could Nicholas have said this?
   4. Can / could Katerina have refused to go with you?
   5. Basil could come  tomorrow.
   6. Sally could not have read the novel so fast.
   7. Greg can’t have had a car accident.

Надеюсь, предложенные can exercises были полезными и интересными.

Также на сайте Grammar-tei.com Вы можете найти хорошие упражнения на модальный глагол must и на модальный глагол may.

Понравилось? Сохраните на будущее и поделитесь с друзьями!

A. Circle the correct word or phrase. If both are correct, circle both.

1   You can’t / couldn’t really talk when you were one year old, can / could you?

2   We can / could give you a lift home tonight, if you want.

3   I wish I can / could speak Russian, then I’d be able to / I could read Tolstoy in the original.

4   Excuse me, could / may you tell me how to get to the leisure centre from here?

5   I’m afraid we can’t / won’t be able to come to the wedding after all.

6   Thankfully, we could / managed to get to the airport just in time so we didn’t miss the plane.

7   Dawn couldn’t go / have gone to the barbecue as she had to work.

8   Would you like to could / be able to buy the flat you’re renting?

9   In a thousand years, can humans / will humans be able to travel faster than the speed of light?

10   ‘Mum, can I watch TV and do my homework later?’

        ‘No, you may / might not!’

11   We could catch / have caught the last train after all, but of course we didn’t know that at the time.

12   Mayn’t / Can’t I at least stay up till the end of the film?

13   Everyone could / was able to tell that Julie was upset about something.

14   May / Can I open the window, please? It’s a little stuffy in here.

15   Because we had guests last Saturday, the kids could / were allowed to stay up till midnight.

Answer

1 couldn’t could   2 can/could

3 could I’d be able to/I could

4 could

5 can’t/won’t be able to

6 managed to   7 go/have gone

8 be able to

9 will humans be able to

10 may   11 have caught   12 Can’t

13 could/was able to   14 May/Can

15 were allowed to

B. Write a verb from the box in the correct form in each gap.

do • eat • feel • go • have • invite • provide • recover • sit • speak • stand • work

1   It seems there’s nothing anybody can ………………… to stop the conflict escalating further.

2   She couldn’t ………………… anything in her left arm for about two hours. She said it was completely numb.

3   I don’t think the Prime Minister will ever manage ………………… from this scandal.

4   Can I ………………… Tracy round after tea? We want to play my new computer game.

5   Liz has had another ice cream so why can’t I ………………… one? It’s not fair!

6   When I was a child, my brothers and sisters and I weren’t allowed ………………… with the grown-ups except on special occasions.

7   Darren’s allergic to wheat, so he can’t ………………… bread under any circumstances.

8   Dominic had said he spoke German, but when we got there it turned out he couldn’t ………………… a word!

9   I’d love to be able ………………… from home, but in my job it’s just not possible.

10   James could ………………… for Parliament at the last election – he had enough support – but he wasn’t willing to sacrifice his privacy.

11   A small cot for babies can ………………… if you ask at reception.

12   We couldn’t ………………… to the concert anyway as Jamie wasn’t very well.

Answer

1 do   2 feel   3 to recover   4 invite

5 have   6 to sit/to eat   7 eat/have   8 speak

9 to work   10 have stood   11 be provided

12 have gone

C. If the word in bold is correct, put a tick. If it is incorrect, rewrite it correctly.

1   Shouldn’t you getting planning permission before you start building? ……………………..

2   Gavin really ought not to be worn casual clothes to the interview last week. ……………………..

3   She might have gave us a call to let us know she was all right. ……………………..

4   You should better get a second opinion before you do anything drastic like knock down a supporting wall. ……………………..

5   I don’t think you must go to school today if you’re not feeling well. ……………………..

6   We definitely should not judge Karen until we know exactly what happened. ……………………..

7   I probably won’t get the job but I should as well apply for it, I suppose. ……………………..

8   You could have told us you’d changed your mind about the holiday. How are we going to find a fourth person at this late stage? ……………………..

9   We had rather book the tickets now, hadn’t we? They might have sold out on the day. ……………………..

10   Terry would leave his bedroom in such a mess all the time. It’s just not good enough. ……………………..

11   Michael was late, but then again he will be. ……………………..

12   You may have asked me if I wanted to come with you! You know I need to go to the bank! ……………………..

Answer

1 get   2 have   3 given   4 had

5 should   6 ✓   7 might/may   8 ✓

9 better   10 will   11 would

12 might/could/should

D. Write a word or short phrase in each gap so that the second sentence has a similar meaning to the first sentence.

1   I would suggest seeing a doctor if it doesn’t clear up.

     You had ……………………………. a doctor if it doesn’t clear up.

2   It was typical of Jerry to forget to feed the cat, wasn’t it?

     Jerry ……………………………. to feed the cat, ……………………………. he?

3   I’m annoyed Diana didn’t invite us to her engagement party.

     Diana ……………………………. us to her engagement party.

4   Buying a yellow car was a mistake – everyone thinks I drive a taxi!

     I ……………………………. a yellow car – everyone thinks I drive a taxi!

5   Teenagers are noisy, aren’t they?

     Teenagers ……………………………. make so much noise, ……………………………. they?

6   It won’t harm us to see what special offers are on at the moment.

     We ……………………………. what special offers are on at the moment.

7   Don’t you think you should type that essay, rather than write it in pen?

     ……………………………. better type that essay, rather than write it in pen?

8   It would probably have been a good idea if you’d asked Dad what he thought.

     You ……………………………. to ……………………………. Dad what he thought.

Answer

1   better see

2   would forget     wouldn’t

3   might have invited/ could have invited/ ought to have invited/ should have invited

4   oughtn’t to have bought/ shouldn’t have bought

5   will/do     won’t/don’t

6   might as well see/ may as well see

7   Hadn’t you

8   probably ought     have asked

E. Write a word from the box in each gap. You will need two of the words twice.

doesn’t • got • had • has • have • must • needn’t • will

1   I ……………….. have bothered preparing so much food; nobody ate anything anyway.

2   Do you ……………….. to have that music on so loud? I can’t concentrate!

3   You ……………….. call before you come round, as we’ll definitely be in.

4   It was difficult, but I knew I ……………….. to apologise.

5   Trisha ……………….. need to get a summer job as her parents are quite well-off.

6   ……………….. you have to be there in court yourself, or can a lawyer represent you?

7   We didn’t ……………….. to wear a uniform to school today, so I went in jeans and a T-shirt.

8   I think Damien ……………….. to stay in hospital for the next four or five weeks.

9   Children ……………….. not be left unattended under any circumstances.

10   We haven’t ……………….. to move out for another six months, but we’ve started looking for a new place anyway.

Answer

1 needn’t   2 have   3 needn’t   4 had

5 doesn’t   6 Will   7 have   8 has

9 must   10 got

F. Complete using must, have to, need or need to in the correct form and the correct form of the words in brackets.

1   You ……………………….. (pay) me back now, but of course you can if you like!

2   Dogs ……………………….. (keep) on a leash at all times.

3   If Linda ……………………….. (pick up) from school tomorrow, maybe we could spend the afternoon in town.

4   We ……………………….. (rely) on phone lines in the future as we’ll all have mobile phones which connect to the Internet.

5   The invitations ……………………….. (send off) soon otherwise they won’t get there in time.

6   Sorry I’m late. I ……………………….. (get) a few things from the supermarket on my way here.

7   ……………………….. (you/ make) a fuss to get your money back, or was the manager quite reasonable?

8   You ……………………….. (believe) everything Graham tells you. He’s lied to me before.

9   Thankfully we ……………………….. (put) Flossie in a cattery as our neighbours offered to feed her.

10   What time ……………………….. (farmers/ get up) every morning?

11   I’d hate ……………………….. (commute) to work every morning and evening, wouldn’t you?

12   Although we took CDs with us we actually ……………………….. (do) as there was no CD player to play them on.

Answer

1   don’t have to pay/ don’t need to pay/ needn’t pay

2   have to be kept/ need to be kept/ must be kept

3   doesn’t have to be picked up/ doesn’t need to be picked up/ needn’t be picked up/ doesn’t need picking up

4   won’t have to rely/ won’t need to rely

5   must be sent off/ will have to be sent off/ need to be sent off/ need sending off

6   had to get/ needed to get

7   Did you have to make/ Did you need to make

8   mustn’t believe

9   didn’t have to put/ didn’t need to put

10   do farmers have to get up/ do farmers need to get up/ must farmers get up

11   to have to commute

12   needn’t have done

G. Write one word in each gap.

A tabloid editor speaks

As editor of the most popular British tabloid, I need (1) ……………………… make sure we give our readers what they want. And what do they want? Scandal. It is my job to tell the readers when a celebrity has done something they should not have (2) ………………………, or when a politician (3) ……………………… to have done something but didn’t. One accusation that is often levelled at tabloids is that we think we (4) ……………………… not need to worry about the truth, but that is just not true. I have (5) ……………………… be shown proof from at least two sources before I run a story. As a newspaper, you have (6) ……………………… to get your facts right and you (7) ……………………… not print a story just because you want it to be true. There are times when, in retrospect, we (8) ……………………… not have been so careful and could have broken a story days before we did, but we (9) ……………………… to have absolute proof first.

I often get asked why so many celebrities sell their stories to us. The truth is that we tell them we are going to run a story about them anyway, so they realise they might as (10) ……………………… put their side of the story across. They know they (11) ……………………… definitely have to speak out at some point, so why wait? And, let’s face it, celebrities need to (12) ……………………… talked about constantly or they stop being famous, so they (13) ……………………… not complain, in my view.

What I would say to celebrities and politicians that do criticise tabloids is that you (14) ……………………… not fear us if you haven’t done anything wrong. But if you have, you (15) ……………………… better look out, because we are going to catch you.

Answer

1 to   2 done   3 ought/claims

4 do   5 to   6 got

7 must/should/dare

8 need/might

9 had/needed/wanted

10 well   11 will   12 be

13 should   14 should/need

15 had

H. Circle the correct word or phrase. If both are correct, circle both.

1   ‘Did you hear a noise?’

     ‘That’ll / That must probably be the cat.’

2   ‘I had to walk all the way here.’

     ‘You must be / have been exhausted. Put your feet up. I’ll make us a nice cup of tea.’

3   ‘Your favourite programme’s on.’

     ‘It mustn’t / can’t be. It’s only half past five.’

4   ‘Andy made me redo every single one of the reports.’

     ‘You must / can have been furious.’

5   ‘Laura walked right past me in the street without saying a word.’

     ‘She can’t / couldn’t have seen you.’

6   ‘I can’t believe I got the final question in the pop quiz wrong.’

     ‘Don’t worry. I wouldn’t / won’t have known the answer either.’

7   ‘I can’t wait to get that blue top tomorrow.’

     ‘I wouldn’t get too excited. They only had one left, so they may / might well have sold out.’

8   ‘It’s got very cold.’

     ‘Yes, I think it must / might easily snow tonight.’

9   ‘I can’t wait till Roger gets here!’

     ‘He should land / have landed by now, so he’ll be here in about an hour.’

10   ‘I hope they’ve got some tickets left.’

       ‘We should / might just be lucky and get the last two.’

Answer

1 That’ll   2 be   3 can’t   4 must

5 can’t/couldn’t   6 wouldn’t

7 may/might   8 might

9 have landed   10 might

I. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between three and eight words, including the word given.

1   It’s possible that Greg didn’t go to Swansea after all. not

     Greg ……………………………….. to Swansea after all.

2   It’s quite likely that Sasha was lying about what Doug said. well

     Sasha ……………………………….. about what Doug said.

3   The most likely situation is that they awarded Grandpa the medal during the war. must

     Grandpa ……………………………….. during the war.

4   I’d be surprised if Derek has already arrived. ought

     Derek ……………………………….. yet.

5   Jake, is it definite that they haven’t announced the winner yet? will

     Jake, ……………………………….. announced yet?

6   It’s highly likely that Stephen was listening. may

     Stephen ……………………………….. listening.

7   It’s not possible that Andrew is half Spanish. be

     Andrew ……………………………….. half Spanish.

Answer

1   may not have been/gone/might not have been/gone

2   may well have been lying/might well have been lying

3   must have been awarded the medal

4   ought not to have arrived

5   will the winner definitely not have been

6   may well have been

7   couldn’t be/can’t be

J. Choose the correct answer.

1   Even in a million years, we ………………. go back in time.

      A couldn’t   B can’t

      C won’t be able to

      D aren’t able to

2   I ………………. at the exam paper lying on Mr Gregson’s desk, but I didn’t want to risk it.

      A could look

      B can look

      C can have looked

      D could have looked

3   ………………. Eliot better tell his mum what happened?

      A Mustn’t   B Oughtn’t

      C Shouldn’t   D Hadn’t

4   You ………………. have let us know you’d changed your phone number.

      A may   B could

      C would   D will

5   ………………. lectures at your university?

      A Haven’t students got to have attended

      B Needn’t students have attended

      C Mustn’t students to attend

      D Don’t students have to attend

6   We ………………. as well try to sell this old sofa before throwing it out.

      A could   B should

      C might   D can

7   Jeremy may well not ………………. about the accident yet.

      A tell    B to tell

      C have told

      D have been told

8   It’s essential that the documents ………………. be destroyed immediately.

      A should   B would

      C ought to   D had better

9   Luckily I ………………. a new pair of sunglasses as I found mine at the bottom of a bag.

      A needn’t have bought

      B didn’t need to buy

      C needed not to buy

      D hadn’t to buy

10   I’m thinking of going on Million Euro Spender; I’d love to ………………. spend a million euros in one day!

      A have to   B must

      C can   D be able

Answer

1 C   2 D   3 D   4 B   5 D

6 C   7 D   8 A   9 B   10 A

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