Can (verb): rules of use

They say that a foreign family is dark. But this expression can also be applied to foreign languages. They really are dark. In any of them there is so much complexity and incomprehensible that it is almost impossible to learn someone else's speech. But in connection with 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. It is an international language that is not very profitable to not know today. It has many different difficulties and incomprehensible moments that are not in Russian. For example, can - a verb belonging to the modal group and denoting the physical ability of a person.

The purpose of modal verbs

In the grammar of English, can is a verb that belongs to a particular group of modal verbs. These words lack all the basic forms that are characteristic of other verbs, and therefore sometimes they are called insufficient, or Defective Verbs. Under no circumstances are modal verbs used alone, but only in combination with the infinitive of some other verb.

The modal verb can in English, like other words of this group, without the infinitive of the other verb is used only in those cases when it is understandable from the context. For example, I wanted to open the door. (I wanted to open the door, but I could not).

The verb can and its application in different forms

Can - a verb, which in English is used most often. Often it is used when it is necessary to indicate a physical possibility, to perform some action, for example, it can hear , I can do it, you can and so on. In the past tense, this word has changed to could.

The verb could, like other modal verbs, is not used in accordance with general rules. Thus, affirmative and negative forms do not imply the use of the particle to between the verb and the given modal word. Thus, the construction of He can to read is incorrect. Correctly pronounce this: He can read.

By means of the auxiliary verb will, it is forbidden to form the future tense of the modal verb. That is, I can not write you tomorrow (I can write to you tomorrow) is prohibited.

The verb can not be changed in the third person of the singular. If the accepted design 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 is changed and can be applied in two versions: can not (could not) or can not (could not). The shortened form is the most acceptable and often used in the spoken language. In the British and American versions, the form can not be pronounced in many ways. In British English, it sounds like [kɑːnt], and in the American - [kænt].

When constructing a question, the modal verb is put on the first place, for example: Can you dance? "Can you dance?"

Cases of the use of the modal verb can

The modal verb can, could, whose usage rules we consider below, is used with an infinitive in an undefined form without the to element. A similar value, but in the past, the form could also have. So, the word is used to determine:

• The ability (ability) of 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 was a more preferable 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 movie theater is?).

• Prohibition. The form can not often be used if it is necessary for someone to forbid something: you can not or you can not . You can not eat this. You have an allergy. (You can not eat this, you're allergic).

Another case of use

The modal verb can, could use English also for expressing suspicion, suspicion and stupefaction. Here the context influences a lot, and therefore there are many nuances. Oscillation with a note of doubt is often exploited in negative sentences with a verb in an indefinite form. Oleg can not swim across Lake Svitjaz. - Yes, Oleg can not cross Lake Svityaz. (Bewilderment, distrust).

Can and to be able to

Can - a verb that has a practically equivalent equivalent to it - to be able to. Replace can this phrase can only if the modal verb is used in the meaning of being able to do something .

Often the synonymic turn to be able to write or say when it is necessary to say that something needs to be done in the future time, because there is no future variant of the time for the modal verb can. True, it is important to take into account a certain nuance: the modal verb itself can belong to the future of time.

The expression be able to in the future tense is relevant in cases where there is a probability, possibility or skill that is not present at the moment, but it will arise in the future. The verb can be used to denote the possibility or ability, which will arise only in the future, is prohibited.

The use of the phrase "to be able to" in the present tense sounds very strange. In such sentences, the modal verb can be considered as the most acceptable.

Could have and Past Participle

The verb can (the rules of verb usage we are considering in this material) is not rarely used in such an option as could have plus Past Participle (the third verb form, the past participle in the past tense). Such a speech turn can denote an action that a person could perform, but it has not done so. For example, He could have married her but he did not want to. "He could have married her, but he did not want to."

Also, with the help of such a design, one can express a conjecture or an assumption about something that happened in the past. For example, Linda could have told him the truth. "Maybe Linda told him the truth." Through speech, could have plus Past Participle express a hypothesis about what did not happen in reality.