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Can vs Could: Usage and Rules Guide

This document discusses the proper use of can and could in the English language. It explains that can is used to talk about present abilities while could is used for past abilities. Can and could are also used to make polite requests, with could being more polite. The document provides examples of how to use can and could correctly in statements, questions, negatives, and short answers. It highlights common grammatical mistakes like incorrect question formation.

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Đức Anh Trần
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291 views2 pages

Can vs Could: Usage and Rules Guide

This document discusses the proper use of can and could in the English language. It explains that can is used to talk about present abilities while could is used for past abilities. Can and could are also used to make polite requests, with could being more polite. The document provides examples of how to use can and could correctly in statements, questions, negatives, and short answers. It highlights common grammatical mistakes like incorrect question formation.

Uploaded by

Đức Anh Trần
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Can / Could

Use: 
1) Use can / can’t to talk about your abilities now.
I can speak English.          I can’t speak German.
    Use could / couldn’t to talk about abilities in the past.
I could speak French when I was a child, but I can't now.
I couldn’t speak English when I was a child, but I can now.
2) Use can and could to make requests.  Could is more polite.
    Can you cook this evening please?                
    Could you pass me the salt?
    Use can to reply to requests.
     Can I sit here?                       =>           Yes, you can.       Sorry, you can’t.
     Can you cook this evening please?                =>                Yes, I can.                Sorry, I can’t.
    DON’T use could in replies.
    Could you lend me some money?
     Yes, I could.               =>           Yes, sure!  Sorry, I can’t.             
Form:
1) Can and could are the same for all persons.
I         can/could            speak English
you can/could            speak English
he / she / it         can/could            speak English 
we    can/could            speak English 
they            can/could            speak English.
     
2) The negative form of can is cannot, or can’t. The negative form of could is couldn’t.
3) There is always a verb after can and could, and the verb is always in the infinitive
form(without to).
     Sally can help you.      NOT Sally can helps you. / Sally can to help you.
4) Make questions by inverting can and the subject.
     I can see you this afternoon.          =>      Can I see  you this afternoon? 
       You could help me.      =>      Could you help me?        
     
5) Use can/can’t and could/couldn’t in short answers.
     Can your brother swim?             =>     Yes, he can.  No, he can’t. 
       Could you do the test?            =>     Yes, I could.  No, I couldn’t.
Common mistakes:
1) Some students make questions incorrectly.
     You can speak English?         =>      Can you speak English?
        I could sit here?                 =>      Could I sit here?

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