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English Modal Verbs: Can, Could, and Be Able To

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English Modal Verbs: Can, Could, and Be Able To

Modal verbs are a special type of verb that are used to express ability, permission, obligation, possibility, and other meanings. They are often used with other verbs to form a verb phrase. In this lesson, we will focus on the modal verbs can, could, and be able to, which are all used to express ability.

Can

Can is used to express present ability or possibility. It is used in the present tense.

  • I can speak English.
  • She can play the piano.
  • You can go to the party.

Could

Could is used to express past ability or possibility. It is used in the past tense.

  • I could swim when I was a child.
  • She could play the guitar before she broke her finger.
  • You could have gone to the party, but you decided not to.

Could can also be used to express polite requests or suggestions.

  • Could you please pass the salt?
  • We could go to the park later.

Be Able To

Be able to is used to express ability in both the present and past tenses. It is a more formal way of expressing ability than can and could.

  • I am able to speak French.
  • She is able to play the violin.
  • You will be able to go to the party if you finish your homework.
  • I was able to finish the project on time.
  • She was able to play the piano before she broke her finger.
  • You would have been able to go to the party, but you decided not to.

Key Differences

Here is a table summarizing the key differences between can, could, and be able to:

Verb Tense Meaning
Can Present Present ability or possibility
Could Past Past ability or possibility, polite requests or suggestions
Be able to Present or Past Ability in both the present and past tenses (more formal)

Examples

Here are some examples of how to use can, could, and be able to in sentences:

  • I can speak English, but I can’t speak Spanish.
  • She could play the piano when she was a child, but she can’t play it now.
  • You will be able to go to the party if you finish your homework on time.
  • I was able to finish the project on time, even though it was very difficult.
  • She was able to play the piano before she broke her finger, but she won’t be able to play it for a few weeks.

Practice

Here are some practice exercises to help you understand how to use can, could, and be able to:

  1. Complete the following sentences with the correct modal verb:
    • I ______ swim when I was a child.
    • She ______ play the guitar.
    • You ______ go to the party if you finish your homework.
    • I ______ finish the project on time.
    • She ______ play the piano before she broke her finger.
  2. Write five sentences using can, could, and be able to.

I hope this lesson has helped you understand how to use can, could, and be able to. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Modal Verbs