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The document discusses the different uses of the modal verbs "can" and "could" in English grammar. It covers their uses for expressing possibility, ability, permission, instructions/requests, and offers/invitations. Key uses include using "can" to talk about present abilities or possibilities, "could" for past abilities or possibilities, "can" to ask or give permission, and "could" as a more polite form of requests.

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41 views4 pages

Click Here For Test & More Advanced English Grammar Topics..

The document discusses the different uses of the modal verbs "can" and "could" in English grammar. It covers their uses for expressing possibility, ability, permission, instructions/requests, and offers/invitations. Key uses include using "can" to talk about present abilities or possibilities, "could" for past abilities or possibilities, "can" to ask or give permission, and "could" as a more polite form of requests.

Uploaded by

Atta Muhammad
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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A. Possibility

We use the modal can to make general statements about what is


possible:
 It can be very cold in winter. (= It is sometimes very cold in
winter)
 You can easily lose your way in the dark. (= People often
lose their way in the dark)
We use could as the past tense of can:
 It could be very cold in winter. (=Sometimes it was very
cold in winter.)
 You could lose your way in the dark. (=People often lost
their way in the dark)

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Click here for Test & More Advanced English Grammar Topics...

We use could to show that something is possible in the future,


but not certain:
 If we don’t hurry, we could be late. (=Perhaps/Maybe we
will be late)
We use could have to show that something is/was possible now
or at some time in the past:
 It’s ten o’clock. They could have arrived now.
 They could have arrived hours ago.

B. Ability

We use can to talk about someone’s skill or general abilities:


 She can speak several languages.
 He can swim like a fish.
 They can’t dance very well.

We use can to talk about the ability to do something at a given


time in the present or future:
 You can make a lot of money if you are lucky.
 Help. I can’t breathe.
 They can run but they can’t hide.

We use could to talk about past time:


 She could speak several languages.
 They couldn’t dance very well.

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Click here for Test & More Advanced English Grammar Topics...

C. Permission

We use can to ask for permission to do something:


 Can I ask a question, please?
 Can we go home now?

could is more formal and polite than can:


 Could I ask a question please?
 Could we go home now?

We use can to give permission:


 You can go home now if you like.
 You can borrow my pen if you like.

We use can to say that someone has permission to do something:


 We can go out whenever we want.
 Students can travel free.

D. Instructions and requests

We use could you and as a polite way of telling or asking


someone to do something:
 Could you take a message please?
 Could I have my bill please?
can is less polite:
 Can you take a message please?

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E. Offers and invitations

We use can I … to make offers:


 Can I help you?
 Can I do that for you?

We sometimes say I can ... or I could ... to make an offer:


 I can do that for you if you like.
 I can give you a lift to the station.

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