Can – Could – Be able to

Can/could expresses:

· ability in the present: can = be able to e.g. He can swim.

· ability in the past: could e.g. I could ski when I was young.

· asking for permission: Can/Could/ May / Might I…..? e.g. Can I go swimming? (informal) Could/May/Might I have a look at this report? (more formal).

We normally reply with Certainly. / Of course. / Why not. / No, I’m afraid you can’t.

· giving/refusing permission:

a) can/may = you are allowed to do smth;

b) can’t / mustn’t/ may not = you are not allowed to do smth.

May (not) is formal and is usually used in written notices. e.g. You can’t see Kim tonight, but you can see her tomorrow. You may not leave your luggage here. (written notice)

· offers: Can/Could/Shall I …? = Would you like me to e.g. Can/ Could/ Shall I get you anything from the supermarket?

· suggestions: We can/could …. Shall we….? = How about…?/ What about…? / Why don’t we…? e.g. What shall we do tonight? We can/could go to the cinema.

· requests: Can/ Could/ Will/ Would you…? e.g. Can/ Could/ Will/ Would you help me with my French homework, please?

We normally reply with Certainly / Of course / I’m sorry, but I can’t.

· negative logical assumptions: can’t = I’m sure/ certain that isn’t true/real, etc.

For positive logical assumptions we use must: e.g. They can’t be strangers. They must know each other.

· possibility

a) could/may/might + present infinitive = it is possible/ it is likely/ perhaps e.g. John is late. – He could havegotstuck in traffic.

b) could/ might + perfect infinitive = it was possible, but it didn’t happen. e.g. Yesterday, there was a terrible accident. The driver could have been killed.

· In negations we can use couldn’t or wasn’t/weren’t able to with no differences in meaning. E.g. I couldn’t/wasn’t able to reach him on the phone.

6. Fill in the gaps with an appropriate modal verb. Then, say what they express in each sentence.

1. A: ………….. I borrow you pencil, please? B: No, you ………. I’m using it. 2. A: I’m bored. What shall we do? B: We ……….. go for a walk. A: No, we …….. because it’s raining. 3. A: My parents told me I ………….. go to the party tonight. B: Never mind, I ………… go either. We ………….stay at home together, though. 4. A: Sir, ……… I speak to you for a minute, please? B: Certainly, but later today, I’m busy now. 5. A: Excuse me? B: Yes? A: ….. you tell me where the post office is, please. 6. A: Is anyone sitting on that chair? B: No, you ……….. take it if you want.

Study the following information.

Could – Was able to expresses:

· ability in the past. We use was/were able to (= managed to do) to show that someone had the ability to do something in a particular situation in the past (past single action) e.g. She was able to climb to the top of the mountain. (She managed to climb).

· We use could to show that someone had the ability to do something repeatedly in the past (past repeated action). e.g. He could run very fast when he was young.

We use could rather than was/were able to with verbs see, hear, feel, smell, taste, understand and remember. e.g. They could see the storm coming.

· We use the negative form couldn’t for both cases. e.g. My little sister couldn’t wash herself when she was two. (past repeated action) Mark tried, but he couldn’ t find out what was wrong with his computer. (past single action)

7. Choose the correct answer.

1. ‘Todd was a very talented child.’ – I know. He … play the piano well when he was seven.’

a) couldn’t; b) could; c) can;

2. ‘I’ve just taken a loaf out of the oven.’ – ‘Oh, that’s why I … smell fresh bread when I came home.’

a) was able to; b) can’t; c) could;

3. ‘How was the test?’ – ‘Easy. All students … pass it.’

a) were able to; b) could; c) can’t;

4. ‘What are you doing this summer?’ – ‘I hope I’ll … go on holiday with my friends.

a) could; b) be able to; c) can.

5. ‘I … ride a bicycle until I was eight.’ – ‘Neither could I.’

a) couldn’t; b) could; c) can’t;

6. ‘Was the suitcase heavy?’ – ‘Yes, but I … carry it by myself.’

a) can’t; b) was able to; c) can:

7. ‘… you drive?’ – ‘Yes, but I haven’t got my own car.’

a) Might; b) May; c) Can;

8. ‘… we go out today?’ – ‘That a good idea.’

a) Shall; b) Will; c) Would;

9. ‘… you give me a lift to work tomorrow?’ – ‘Yes. I’ll pick up you at 8 o’clock.’

a) May; b) Shall; c) Will;

10. ‘Where is Collin?’ – ‘I’m not sure. He … be in the study.

a) will; b) could; c) ought.

8. Fill in the gaps with can, can’t, could, couldn’t or be able in the correct form.

1. I had my hands full, so I ___________ open the door. 2. When I was young, I ________ stand on my head. 3. Although he felt ill, he _________ finish all his paperwork. 4. Tony is clever. He ________ speak three languages. 5. I ___________ afford that bag. It’s too expensive. 6. Although it was dark, he ________ find his way through the woods. 7. I heard his voice calling me, but I _______ see him. 8. We’re busy tonight, so we __________ come to the party. 9. When I entered the house, I _________ smell meat roasting. 10. I __________ drive a car. I learned when I was eighteen. 11. I can’t understand Martin. I’ve never __________ understand him. 12. I used to _________ run very fast but now I _________ do it. 13. Ask Ann about your problem. She will ____________ help you. 14. I ____________ sleep recently. 15. I _____ sing now, but I ________ very well when I was young. 16. Did they find your house? – Yes. It took them a long way but they _____________ find it. 17. He had hurt his leg, so he ____________ walk very well. 18. They won the match, though it wasn’t easy but they ____________ win it. 19. She wasn’t at home when I phoned her but I ________ contact her at her office. 20. I looked very carefully and I _______ see a figure in the distance.

9. Translate into English.

1. Ви можете говорити якимись іноземними мовами? 2. Боюсь, я не зможу прийти на твою вечірку в суботу. 3. Я не міг спати останнім часом добре. 4. Можливо, Том не зможе прийти завтра. 5. Я не вмію зараз кататися на ковзанах, але я вміла дуже добре в дитинстві. 6. Чи умовили вони його прийти? – Так. Це було важко, але вони змогли умовити його. 7. Моя бабуся любила музику і вміла дуже добре грати на піаніно. 8. Хлопчик упав у річку, але, на щастя, ми змогли врятувати його. 9. На острові можна знайти кілька видів грибів. 10. Собаку не можна впускати в дім. 11. Я могла би помити посуд після обіду, але мені зателефонувала подружка. 12. Ми не змогли розв’язати задачу. 13. Як ти міг залишити її одну? Вона могла б заблукати. 14. Із мого вікна я міг бачити тільки двір. 15. Ніхто не міг зробити для нього більше, ніж ви.

May – Might

Study the following information.

May/Might expresses:

· possibility (present/future): may/might/could + present infinitive = it is possible/ it is likely/ perhaps e.g. Where is Julia? – She may/might/could still be at work.

· possibility (past): may/might/could + perfect infinitive.

a) We use these structures to refer to a past action which was possibly true. e.g. The lights are still on. Helen may/might/could have forgotten to turn them off.

b) We also use them to refer to things which were possible but did not happen.

May is not normally used in this case. e.g. Why did you run across the road? You might/ could have been killed.

· asking permission: May/Might I …? = Would you mind if I …? We use these structures to ask permission when we do not know the other person very well. e.g. May/ Might I ask you another question? Study the following examples: e.g. Can I take this book? – Yes, of course. (informal) Could I talk to you for a minute? – Certainly. (more polite than can)

· giving/refusing permission:

a) may/can = you are allowed to do smth

We use may and can, but not might or could to give permission. May is very formal and is not used in everyday speech. e.g. You can sit here if you like. (everyday speech) Passengers may take only one item of hand luggage on board. (written notice)

Note: We use Could I …? To ask permission, and can or may, but not could, to reply. e.g. Could I leave a little earlier? – Yes, you can. /Yes, you may.

b) can’t/may not = you not allowed to do smth. We use can’t and may not, but not couldn’t to refuse permission. e.g. Students may not wear outdoor shoes on the basketball court. I’m sorry, but you can’t park here.

· requests: May/Might//Can/Could I …? We use these structures to ask for something politely. Might I…? is more formal than May I…? and is not often used. E.g. May/Can/Could I have a pen, please? - Here you are.

· reproach: You might have done something E.g. You might have bought some flowers. It was her birthday.

10. Make sentences with may or might. (The first five sentences are in present.)

E.g. Do you know if Ann likes ice-cream? – I’m not sure. She may/might like ice-cream.

1. Do you know if they are married? – I’m not sure. They ________________________

2. Do you know if she wants to go? – I’m not sure. _____________________________

3. Do you know if he’s telling the truth? – I’m _________________________________

4. Do you know if he has a car? – I __________________________________________

5. Do you know if Jack is in his office? _______________________________________

6. Do you know if he was serious? __________________________________________

7. Do you know if they were looking for the key? _______________________________

8. Do you know if she was ill? _____________________________________________

9. Do you know if she told anybody? ________________________________________

10. Do you know if they came to the meeting? _________________________________

11. Rephrase the following sentences in as many ways as possible.

1. Perhaps Laura has left the phone off the hook. Laura may / might / could have left the phone off the hook. 2. Surgeons are obliged to scrub their hands before operating on patients. 3. Do you mind if I open the window? 4. It wasn’t necessary for Peter to wash the dog, so he didn’t. 5. Emily managed to reach the top shelf, even though she didn’t have a ladder. 6. It’s forbidden to copy files without the manager’s permission. 7. Why don’t we spend the evening at home? 8. I’m certain Patrick misunderstood my instructions. 9. I’m sure Helen didn’t know about her surprise party. 10. I’m sure she lost the case. 11. Perhaps she will phone us sometime today. 12. I don’t think the Rogers have been living here long. 13. I’m sure James won’t be seeing the boss tomorrow. 14. Perhaps he is feeling ill. 15. I’m sure Alan wasn’t driving carelessly. 16. Perhaps he had left before you called. 17. I’m certain she’s considering your offer. 18. Perhaps they rented the flat.

Study the following information.

I’m sure she knows him well. Perhaps he will be late. I’m sure you aren’t a doctor.	Present Infinitive	She must know him well. He may be late. You can’t be a doctor.
It’s possible he’s workingnow. I’m sure she’ll be workingthen. I’m sure they won’t be leaving.	Present Continuous Infinitive	He could be working now. He must be working then. They can’t be leaving.
I’m sure he didn’t know the truth. Perhaps they have missed the bus. It’s possible he had got lost.	Perfect Infinitive	He can’t have known the truth. They might have missed the bus. He may have gotlost.
I’m certain he was sleeping. Perhaps shehas been lying. It’s likely they had been hiding.	Perfect Continuous Infinitive	He must have been sleeping. She may have been lying. They could have been lying.

12. Rephrase the sentences using must or can’t.

1. I’m sure she has gone on holiday. __________________ 2. I’m certain he doesn’t know the secret. ________________ 3. I’m certain Mike hasn’t got a car. __________________4. I’m sure Susan has paid the phone bill. __________________ 5. I’m sure they don’t live here. ___________________ 6. I’m sure they left the country. _________________7. I’m certain Marie sent you a birthday card. ________________________8. I’m certain he didn’t call me. _________________ 9. I’m sure he has been keeping secrets from me. ________________ 10. I’m certain she is looking for a new job. ______________________________ 11. I’m sure David didn’t go to the office. _______________________ 12. I’m certain he is working in the library. ________________________ 13. I’m sure John didn’t stay late at the office. ___________________ 14. I’m certain he hasn’t arrived yet. _________________________ 15. I’m sure she was writing her course paper. _________________________ 16. I’m certain you have been planning the project. 17 I’m sure Paul didn’t file the complaint. ____________________________18. I’m sure they haven’t finished writing the composition. ____________________________________ 19. I’m certain you told her everything. ____________________________________ 20. I’m sure they are hiding somewhere. ____________________________________

13. Rephrase the following sentences, as in the example.

1. It’s likely that she has forgotten about the meeting. She may/might/could have forgotten about the meeting. 2. Perhaps he will be home soon. ____________________ 3. Perhaps we won’t stay in a hotel. __________________ 4. It’s possible she has been delayed in traffic. ________________ 5. It’s likely they have gone to the cinema. ____________________ 6. Perhaps they are asleep already. _______________________________ 7. It’s likely he hasn’t been promoted. _______________________________ 8. It’s possible she called while we were out. __________________________ 9. It’s likely we’ll go shopping this afternoon. ______________ 10. Perhaps he is outside. ____________________ 11. It’s possible they didn’t receive our message. ______________________ 12. Perhaps she is visiting a friend. ___________________________

14. Fill in can, can’t, must, mustn’t, needn’t or have to in the correct form.

1. A: Is Jason at work today? B: He _________ be. His car isn’t at the car park. 2. A: I can’t do my German homework. B: I’ll help you. I _______ speak German. 3. A: I’m going to watch TV. B: All right, but you _______ stay up late. 4. A: We _______ book a taxi to take us to the airport. B: I’ll do it now. 5. A: I didn’t know Rachel was in the choir. B: Oh yes. She _____ sing beautifully. 6. A: _______ I cook dinner tonight? B: No, you ______. We are going to the restaurant. 7. A: Has Tom bought a car yet? B: He ________ have. I saw him on the bus yesterday. 8. A: She ______ be very rich. B: Yes. She’s got a huge house and an expensive car. 9. A: I did the washing-up for you. B: Oh, you ________ have. But it was very kind of you. 10. A: Would you like to come to my party on Saturday? B: I’d like to, but my Mum says I _______ visit my grandparents.

15. Translate into English.

1. У цю годину його завжди можна побачити в читальному залі. 2. Можна, я почекаю на вас? – Так. 3. А зараз, діти, можете піти погратися до садку. 4. На жаль, жити тут неможливо. 5. Можна мені взяти вашу газету на хвилинку? – Пробачте, я читаю її зараз. 6. Можливо, ми чули цього співака по радіо. 7. У диктанті багато помилок. Ви б могли бути більш уважними. 8. Можна вийти на хвилинку? – Так. / Ні. 9. Вона, можливо, чекала від вас похвали. 10. Ти могла залишити сумку в кафе. 11. Вона може знати його адресу. 12. Можливо, він подумав, що ви хочете взяти в нього інтерв’ю, а він цього не любить. 13. Його може і не бути зараз удома. 14. Книга може бути вже і розпродана. 15. Можливо, вони це зараз обговорюють. 16. Не може бути, щоб він забув свою обіцянку. 17. Він точно забув свою обіцянку. 18. Вона не могла запізнитися на потяг учора. 19. Можливо, вона вже поїхала. 20. Напевно, їй вже про все розказали. 21. Не може бути, щоб їй про все розказали. 22. Напевно, вони розмовляли про це, коли ви ввійшли. 23. Невже діти все ще грають надворі? 24. Можливо, вона буде жити в цьому місті після того, як закінчить університет. 25. Не може бути, щоб ти не чув про це раніше.

Shall

Study the following information.

Shall expresses:

· offers Shall / Can / Could I…? = Would you like me to …? We use these structures when we offer to do something. E.g. Can /Could / Shall I help you with Mary’s present? – That’s a good idea.

· suggestions Shall / Can / Could we …? = Why don’t we…? / How about …? / What about …? Let’s …. We use these structures to make a suggestion. E.g. Shall / Can / Could we go to the market today? – I’d rather not.

· asking for suggestions or instructions. We use shall when we ask for suggestions or instructions. E.g. Where shall we go tonight? – We can / could go to the cinema.

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