can and be able to

1/ Chúng ta sử dụng can (do) để chỉ một việc gì đó là khả dĩ hay một người nào đó có khả năng làm một việc gì đó. Thể phủ
định là can’t (can not).

- You can see the sea from our bedroom window.

từ cửa sổ phòng ngủ của chúng ta em có thể nhìn thấy biển.

- Can you speak any foreign language?

Bạn có nói được ngoại ngữ nào không?

- I’m afraid I can’t come to your party next Friday.

Tôi e rằng tôi không thể tới dự bữa tiệc của anh vào thứ sáu tới.

Be able to có thể được sử dụng thay thế cho can, nhưng can thì thường gặp hơn.

- Are you able to speak any foreign languages?

Anh nói được ngoại ngữ nào không?

Nhưng can chỉ có hai thể: can (hiện tại) và could (quá khứ).
Vì vậy đôi khi bạn phải sử dụng be able to:
- I haven’t been able to sleep recently.
gần đây tôi bị mất ngủ. (Can không có thì hiện tại hoàn thành)

- Tom might not be able to come tomorrow.

Ngày mai có thể Tom không đến được (can không có thể nguyên mẫu).

2/ Could và was able to.

Could là quá khứ của can. Chúng ta sử dụng could đặc biệt với nhứng động từ sau: See, hear, smell, taste, feel,
remember,understand

- When we went into the house, we could smell burning.

Khi chúng tôi bước vào nhà, chúng tôi có thể ngửi thấy mùi cháy khét.

- She spoke in a low voice but I could understand what she was saying.
Cô ta nói giọng nhỏ nhưng tôi có thể hiểu được cô ây đang nói cái gì.

Chúng ta cũng dùng could để chỉ người nào có khả năng làm việc gì đó:

- My grandfather could speak five languages

Ông của tổi có thể 2 ngôn ngữ.

- When Tom was 16, he could run 100 meters in 11 seconds.

Khi Tom được 16 tuổi, anh ta có thể chạy 100m trong vòng 11 giây.

Nhưng nếu bạn muốn nói rằng người ta đang tìm cách xoay sở làm một việc gì đó trong một hoàn cảnh đặc thù và việc đó có
khả năng xảy ra thì bạn phải sử dụng was / were able to (không phải could)

- The fire spread through the building very quickly everyone was able to escape.
Ngọn lửa lan khắp toà nhà rất nhanh nhưng mọi người đều tìm cách thoát thân được. (không nói “could)

- They didn’t want to come with us at first but in the end we were able to persuade them.
Thoạt đầu họ không muốn đến với chúng tôi nhưng cuối cùng chúng tôi đã tìm cách thuyết phục được họ. ( không dùng “could )

Hãy so sánh could và was able to trong ví dụ sau:

- Jack was an excellent tennis player. He could beat anybody.
(= he had the ability to beat anybody).
Jack là một đấu thủ quần vợt tuyệt vời. Anh ta có thể thắng bất cứ ai.

- But once be had a difficult game against Alf. Alf played very well but in the end Jack was able to beat him. (= he managed to beat
him in this particular game).
Nhưng có một lần anh ta có cuộc đấu rất căng thẳng với Alf. Alf chơi rất hay nhưng cuối cùng Jack đã có thể đánh bại được anh ta.
(= Anh ta đã tìm cách đánh bại được Alf trong cuộc thi đấu đặc biệt)

Ta có thể sử dụng thể phủ định couldn’t trong mọi trường hợp:

- My grandfather couldn’t swim.

Ông của tôi không biết bơi.

- We tried hard but we couldn’t persuade them to come with us.

Chúng tôi đã cố gắng hết sức nhưng chúng tôi không tài nào thuyết phục được họ đến với chúng tôi.

Tag-questions

1. You have heard about that,.....................? 25.He didn’t wake up this morning,............................?
2. Nam did the work well,.........................?
3. He didn’t have to speak to me,.....................? 26.Baird didn’t produce the first TV picture before
4. He won’t fall down,.............................? 1920,............................?
5. You would’t like the window open,..................?
6. He used to beat his wife,............................? 27.There are many interesting programs
7. She came very late,..................? tonight,........................?
8. Come and see me tomorrow,.................?
9. I’d better go,....................?
10.There’s an examination tomorrow,.......................?
II.
11.You can’t play tennis today,...........................?
1) Linh didn’t feel confident in her favorite clothes,
12.She’s been studying English for two _______________?
years,....................? 2) The two cities are not the same in some ways,
_______________?
13.Your brother doesn’t like watching TV,...................? 3) Her listening isn’t excellent, _______________?
4) Maryam couldn’t stay for longer time,
14.Let’s listen to the radio,...................................? _______________?
5) My sister has to make this room tidy,
15.Mary is reading a book in her room,.....................? _______________?
6) This poet has mentioned the ao dai in poems,
16.His parents won’t buy him a new game,.................? _______________?
7) Lan used to walk past the mosque on her way to
17.You’ve just used the computer,.................................? primary school, _________?
8) Nobody wrote poems yesterday, _______________?
18.Turn off the television,............................? 9) There are many religions in Malasia,
_______________?
19.I’m late for the party,.........................? 10) His children may swim, _______________?
11) Nam and Binh have to study harder,
20.They never go to the theatre,................?
_______________?
12) Women to day often prefer to wear modern clothing at
21.His mother is very proud of him,...............?
work, ____________?
22.The lift isn’t working today,......................? 13) The Parkers had a picnic on the river bank,
_______________?
23.Nothing could be done,..................................? 14) Our teachers have taken inspiration from some
minorities, ______________?
24.Everybody is here,..............................? 15) Everything was OK, _______________?
16) Oh, hurry up, _______________?
17) Hung and I can eat those cakes, _______________?
18) You won’t be late, _______________?
19) Ba’s village lies near the foot of the moutain,
_______________?
20) Daisy has seen that films several times,
_______________?
21) Let’s forget unhappy things, _______________?
22) Her daughter doesn’t spend time surfing the web,
_______________?
23) Those men never worked on a farm,
_______________?
24) People of different ages like this magazine,
_______________?
25) I am wearing wrong shoes, _______________?
26) Interactive TV is available now, _______________?
27) He did not miss the train, _______________?
28) Someone feels tired after the trip, _______________?
29) Hanh and you like living in a dormitory on campus,
_______________?
30) Their son doesn’t have much time on computer,
_______________?
III.

1. Mr. White is a tailor, ……………..…? 26. I may open it, ……………?

2. It isn’t ready yet, …………………....?
3. I am clever, …………………………..?
4. We must hurry, ………………..…….?
5. They won’t stop long, ……………….?
6. You asked for mustard, ……………..?
7. She speaks too quickly, ……………..?
8. He will arrive soon, ………………….?
9. The milk may be sour, ………………..?
10. Tom doesn’t like ham, ………………..?
11. They told me a lie, ………………………?
12. It can’t be so bad, ……………………....…?
13. It was a pity, …………………………….……?
14. Jack is joining the club, …………………….?
15. You mustn’t do that again, …………..……?
16. You ought not to eat that, ……………….…?
17. They have sold the house, ……………….…?
18. Our team won the prize, ……………………..?
19. You are leaving here tomorrow, ……………?
20. You can’t come next week, ………………….?
21. You ought to leave now, ……………………?
22. He should have come home earlier,
……………………………………………..…?
23. He daren’t do it, …………………..……?
24. Go and get me some aspirins, ……………?
25. We need some more sugar, ……………?
27. You’d better keep quiet, ……………?
28. He used to live near here, ……………?
29. Open it for me, ……………?
30. Let’s sing it again, ……………?
31. He shouldn’t put so much salt in it,
……………?
32. Going swimming in the summer is very
interesting, ……………?
33. Let’s dance together, ……………? The
party is so wonderful.
34. Don’t talk in class, ……………? The
teacher is explaining the lesson
35. Nobody understands what the lady over
there says, ……………?
36. The woman seldom writes poems and
stories, ……………?
37. Nothings makes you bored, ……………?
You always look happy.
38. You have read this article on the website,
……………?
39. You don’t read this article on the website,
……………?
40. She never tells the truth, ……………?

Let’s go to the zoo,……………… Go to the cinema with us,

……………………?
Don’t make so much noise, ……………? Everyone has their own opinions,
………………..?
Everybody can do those things,……………….? Everything is alright now,
……………………?
Anybody is glad to hear this news, …………….? Anything came true to you,
…………………….?
No one can know how much it really costs, ....................? Nobody has come here yet,
…………………..?
Everyone doesn’t know it very well,………………? She has a good book, …………………?
Everybody didn’t accept your opinions, ……………..? Everything hasn’t got better,
…………………?
Nothing can change his decision, ……………………? Nothing gets better,
………………………..?
She hardly does it well, …………………….? They seldom visit you, ……………….?
Peter has never talked to Alice, …………………..? She has no money, …………………..?
She has no money, …………………………? She has a good book,
………………………….?
Anyone may ask the president at present, …………………….?

She isn’t a teacher, ……………………?
You aren’t Mr. Jonathan, ………………..?
He wasn’t able to do this difficult exercise, …………….?
They weren’t responsible for the problems,…………….?
Daisy and Jack cannot speak four languages,
…………………?
Mary has not been in Paris for years, ………………?
They don’t have a good view of the village from the top
of the hill, ………………?
You had not been a teacher before 2002, …………..?
Nam and Ngân will not come here in time, ………….?
They do not do their morning exercise every day,
……………………..?
They have a child, ………………………?
He has a book, ……………………….?
You had many cars, ………………………?
1. Lan enjoys watching television after dinner,-------'
You did not talk to Nam last night, ………………….?
You have not traveled around Europe, …………………?
We shall not give them a way, ……………………………
I am not late, ………………...?
I am allowed to do this legally, ………………..?
Mary did not go to Moscow last week, …………………….
She does not make a tour of Vietnam every year,
…………………………?
Peter does not do her homework very well, ………………?
She doesn’t have a very good-looking face, ………………
David and Alice do not go camping every summer,
…………………………………?
They have a child, …………………………?
He has a book, ………………………….?
You had many cars, ……………………………….?

2. Tarn didn't go to school yesterday,-------……………………?

3. They will buy a new computer,______………………..?

4. She can drink a lot of tomato juice everyday,______…………………….?

5. Your children don't watch T.V. three hours a day,______…………………..?

6. That boy delivers newspapers in this block,______………………………….?

7. Her father works for TUOI TRE newspaper,______……………….?

9. Britney Spears is the most famous singer this year………………………….

10. My classmates have seen that cartoon twice, ………………………_ __?

11 She has learned English for, four years,………………………….. ?

12. That house has been built since January,………………… ?

13. Shakespeare's plays have been performed everywhere,………………………..

14. They are talking about their performance,…………………………. ?
15. Thu was practicing her music lesson at 4 o'clock yesterday…………………………..?
16. Tarn and Ba are playing sports now,____________?
17. Phong and Kien were doing their reseach when we came, _
18. 18 Your mother has read t l i c ; ; . : fairy tales for you many times, ?
19. The children haven't watched that cartoon before, _ ?
20. Lets go .somewhere; for a drink, ?
21. I am late for the appointment, ?

22. She may not come to class today, ?