CAN/COULD + verbs of perception (NOT be able to)
Ex: I can smell something burning.
Request:
-Can/Could/May/Might I
have a sandwich (please)?
Response:
-Of course, you can/may.
(NOT COULD/MIGHT)
Request
- Will/Would you (kindly) open the
door for me
(please)? (Willingness)
- Can/Could you (possibly) open the
door (please)?
(Ability)
- Would you mind opening the
window for me (please)?
Responses
- Yes, of course (, I will).
- No, I?m afraid I can?t.
WAS/WERE ABLE TO, MANAGE TO, SUCCEED IN: specific achievement in the past
CAN =KNOW HOW TO Ex: In the end they managed to rescue the cat on the roof.
COULD + ONLY/HARDLY (... could rescue the cat ...)
Ex: I could hardly believe her
eyes
CAN/COULD: natural or learned ability
Ex: Can you drive a car? I'm sure you could get into university (if you applied).
- (not) be allowed to
Follow by passive inffinities COULD/MAY/MIGHT
- (not) be permitted to Ex: He can't be understood - Could/may/might + bare-Inf
(NOT He is not able to be ......) I could have done better in my school => present/future
COULD ~ WOULD years if I had tried harder. possibility
- be forbidden to
BE ABLE TO - Could/may/might + HAVE +
?unreal past? P.P. => past possibility
- be prohibited COULD/WAS/WERE ABLE TO: acquisition of a skill after effort
Ex: I tried again and found I could/was able to swim. COULD HAVE /WOULD HAVE
- be not to BEEN ABLE TO: ability not used due
to personal failure or lack of - A certain fact
opportunity She is at home./
- negative imperatives
- A possibility
She could/may/might be at home.
/She can?t be at home.
= It?s possible that she is at home.
CAN<COULD Permission/ Ability = Maybe/Perhaps she is at home.
MAY<MIGHT Prohibition - Less common for possibility
She should/ought to be at home.
Possibility Questions about possibility
Things/Subtances Ex: Might/Could/Can* this be true?
Requests
- It?s possible that he read the lessons. (Past possibility)
Perhaps/Maybe he read the lessons.
Actions
MODAL = He could/may/might have read the lessons.
Modalities
Suggestions/Invitations
(with actions)
VERBS
Suggestions/Invitations
- Will/Won?t you come for a walk?
- Would/Wouldn?t you like to
watch some movie?
Responses
Deduction
Certainty / Facts
- (Yes,) I?d love/like to. Suggesstions - He lives here. / He is leaving.
- (No,) I?d prefer not to, thank you. (with actions)
- Deduction about the PAST
Suggestions
Past Habit Deduction about the - He must have lived here. / He
- Shall we go for a swim?
- We can/could/might go for a
Offers (with PRESENT must have been leaving.
actions) - He must live here. / He = I?m sure/certain he lived
swim
must be leaving. here/was leaving.
- What shall/can/could we do
= I?m sure/certain (that) he - He can?t/couldn?t have lived
this evening?
lives here/is leaving. - here. / He can?t/
Responses
He can?t live here. / He can?t couldn?t have been leaving.
- Yes, let?s. / Yes, shall we?
be leaving. = I?m sure/certain he didn?t live
- No, I?d rather we didn?t./ No,
= I?m sure/certain he doesn?t here/wasn?t leaving.
I?d rather not.
live here/is not leaving.
Advisability/
Necessity
Offers
- Can/Could/Shall I open the
window (for you)? USED TO: ch?thói quen, hành ??ng l?p ?i l?p l?i, tr?ng thái trong quá kh?
- Would you like me to open WOULD: ch?thói quen, hành ??ng l?p ?i l?p l?o trong quá kh?, không ch?
the window? tr?ng thái. (k dùng v?i like/love/hate/believe/be/prefer/understand/have....
Advisability:
- What shall/can I do for you?
should/ought to/ need
- May I take your coat? (very to/ had better
polite)
Necessity:
Responses
have to/ have got to/
- Yes, please. /
must
Can/Could/Would you? That?s
very kind.
- No, thank you.
OUGHT TO/ - SHOULD HAVE P.P = OUGHT TO HAVE
SHOULD (criticism) P.P phân bi?t HAD TO -INF
NEEDN'T HAVE P.P -
(less criticism) - NEEDN'T HAVE phân bi?t DIDN'T
NEED/HAVE TO