They say that someone else's family is the darkness. But the same expression can be applied to foreign languages. They really represent the darkness. In any of them there are so many complex and incomprehensible things that it is almost impossible to learn someone else’s speech. But due to European integration, as well as the desire to visit America, many people learn English. It is this speech that is taught in schools and kindergartens, universities and academies. This is an international language that today is very, very unprofitable not to know. It has many different difficulties and incomprehensible moments that are not in the Russian language. For example, can is a verb belonging to the group of modal and denoting the physical skill of a person.
Purpose of modal verbs
In English grammar, can is a verb that belongs to a separate group of modal verbs. These words do not contain all the basic forms that are characteristic of other verbs, and therefore are sometimes called insufficient, or Defective Verbs. Under no circumstances modal verbs are used independently, but only in combination with the infinitive of any other verb.
The modal verb can in English, like other words of this group, without the infinitive of another verb is used only in those cases when it is understood from the context. For example, I wanted to open the door but I couldn't. (I wanted to open the door, but could not).
The verb can and its use in different forms
Can is a verb that is used most often in English. Often it is used when it is necessary to indicate a physical opportunity, to perform some action, for example, he can hear , I can do it, you can and so on. In the past tense, this word changes to could.
The verb could, like other modal verbs, is not used in accordance with the general rules. So, affirmative and negative forms do not imply the use of the particle to between the verb and the given modal word. Therefore, the construction of He can to read is incorrect. Pronounce correctly: He can read.
By means of the auxiliary verb will it is forbidden to form the future tense of the modal verb. That is, saying I will can write you tomorrow is forbidden.
The verb can does not change in the third person singular. If the construction considered is He swims, She reads or It sings, then with the modal verb in question, these expressions will have the following form: He can swim or She can read.
Can for the expression of negation changes and can be applied in two ways: cannot (could not) or can't (couldn't). The shortened form is the most acceptable and often used in spoken language. In the British and American versions, the form can't be pronounced in different ways. In British English, it sounds like [kɑːnt], and in American it sounds [kænt].
When constructing a question, the modal verb is put in first place, for example: Can you dance? - Can you dance?
Cases of using the modal verb can
The modal verb can, could, the rules of use of which we will discuss below, is used with the infinitive in indefinite form without the to element. The same meaning, but in the past, the form could also have. So, the word is used to define:
- Abilities (possibilities) of a mental or physical nature to do something. For example, Could he swim when he was younger?
- Requests. Both forms of the modal verb are used in interrogative form. A request using could is the preferred option, and it is used in those sentences that are addressed to another person. Example: Could you tell me where the cinema is? (Can you tell me where the cinema is located?).
- Prohibition. The can't can't form is often used if it is necessary for someone to prohibit something: you cannot or cannot . You can't eat this. You have an allergy. (You must not eat this. You are allergic).
Another use case
The modal verb can, could also use English for expressing incredulity, suspicion and astonishment. Here, the context influences a lot, and therefore there are many nuances. Oscillations with a note of doubt are often exploited in sentences of a negative nature with an undefined verb. Oleg can't swim across Lake Svitjaz. - Yes, Oleg cannot cross Lake Svityaz. (Perplexity, distrust).
Can and to be able to
Can - a verb that has an almost equivalent equivalent to it - to be able to. This phrase can be replaced by can only if the modal verb is used in the sense of being able to do something .
Often a synonymous turn to be able to write or say when it is necessary to say that something needs to be done in the future tense, because there is no future tense for the modal verb can. True, it is important to take into account some nuance here: the modal verb itself is able to belong to the future tense.
The expression be able to in the future tense is relevant in those cases when it comes to the probability, possibility or skill that is not currently available, but it will arise in the future. In this case, the can verb is used to indicate an opportunity or ability that will arise only in the future, is prohibited.
Using the phrase to be able to in the present tense sounds very strange. In such sentences, the modal verb can is considered most acceptable.
Could have and Past Participle
The verb can (the rules for using the verb in this article) is not rarely used in such a way as could have plus Past Participle (the third form of the verb, participle in the past tense). Such a speech revolution may indicate an action that any person could have performed, but did not. For example, He could have married her but he didn't want to. - He could marry her, but did not want to.
Also, with the help of such a construction, one can express a guess or assumption about something that happened in the past. For example, Linda could have told him the truth. “Maybe Linda told him the truth.” Through a speech turn, could have plus Past Participle express a hypothesis about what did not happen in reality.