Modal verb CAN

The modal verb can in the form of can is used

for the present tense, and could in the past
tense or in tense agreement is used
Can:
uses
 Physical ability
The modal verb can usually expresses a
person's mental or physical ability or inability
to perform or do something, a person's skills
and abilities.

We can go swimming after school

Can you sleep on your back?
We often use can with verbs of perception such as hear, see, smell,
taste, and mental process verbs such as guess, imagine, picture,
understand and follow (in the sense of ‘understand’):
I can hear you.
I can see her coming down the road now.
Can you smell something burning?
 2. Possibility
The modal verb can with the simple infinitive form (first form) is used to express well-known facts,
rules, and actions that can be performed under certain circumstances. Often in such sentences, can is
used with the subject expressed by the pronoun you, which does not name a specific person but is
used as a generalization.

Small dogs can be very aggressive.

Children can’t buy alcohol .
You can drive only when you have your driving license.
 Permissions, requests, prohibitions
The modal verb can with the simple infinitive form of
the verb is used to express permission, request, or
prohibition to do something. In questions, the verb could
expresses a more polite request and can be used in the
present tense.
You can eat the pizza
if you want.
Could I use your notes?
Children can't watch this movie.
 Expression of dissatisfaction,
reproach
The modal verb could is used to express the speaker's dissatisfaction with the
fact that a certain action should or should have taken place, but for some reason
it did not or is not happening now. Such sentences have a tinge of irritation and
reproach.

In such sentences, the modal could is used with the simple infinitive form of the
verb for the present and future tenses, or with the perfect infinitive form to refer
to actions in the past tense.
 Past tense with the
Present and future Perfect Infinitive
tense with Simple
Infinitive

We could go to the party today. You could have called me yesterday!

We could have a picnic in the She could have explained us how to do
countryside. this work.
They could attend the concert next You could have asked for help with
week. your project.
 Uncertainty
The modal verb can or its past tense form could can be used in interrogative sentences to express doubt or
uncertainty about something. In this case, could conveys a greater degree of uncertainty than can. Such
sentences are translated into Ukrainian as "Невже?", "Невже це правда що.?", etc.

In this sense, a verb is used after can and could to indicate an action in the present tense. When the
sentence refers to the past tense, the perfect infinitive and perfective long infinitive forms of the semantic
verb are used after could.
 Present Past
Could she have been right? –
Can she be right? – Невже вона
Невже вона була права?
права?
Could she have been living with
Can she be telling the truth? – Jack for 5 years? – Невже це
Невже вона говорить правду правда, що вона прожила з
Джеком 5 років?
 Expressing the impossibility of
something
The negative forms in the present and past tense of cannot and could not
are used to express that the speaker cannot or refuses to believe in
something, that this action is unrealistic for him or her and cannot (or could
not) happen. Such sentences are translated into Ukrainian as "не може
бути, що…" At the same time, could makes such a sentence less
categorical.
 She cannot be right. – Не може бути, щоб вона була права.
present Ann couldn’t be telling the truth. – Енн навряд чи говорить правду
(в цей момент).

Ann can’t have lied that day. – Не може такого бути, щоб Енн мені тоді
past збрехала.
Kate couldn’t have been living with Matt for 5 years. – Не може бути,
щоб Кейт прожила з Меттом 5 років.
 SET
EXPRESSIONS
The expression can't help and the
verb ending in -ing are translated
into Ukrainian "не можу не" " не
можу стримати...".

I can’t help laughing! This TV-show is so funny! –

Не можу стримати сміх! Це шоу таке кумедне!
She can’t help eating chocolate. – Вона не може
втриматися від того, щоб не з'їсти шоколад.

she couldn’t help crying. – Вона не могла стримати сліз (плач).

Jack couldn’t help smiling when he saw her. – Він не міг стримати посмішки (не міг не
усміхатись), коли бачив її.
The expression can't but with the
simple infinitive form of the verb
without the particle to is
translated into Ukrainian as
"нічого іншого не лишається,
як.....".

• I can’t but refuse your offer. – Мені нічого не лишається, як відхилити вашу пропозицію.
• She couldn’t but ask him about it. – Їй нічого не залишалось робити, окрім як спитати його
про це.
 Цю книгу можна купити в будь-якому магазині.

Не може бути, щоб вона не знайшла вашого будинку.

Невже їй все розповіли?

Джордж, ти міг би допомогти мені нести цей важкий чемодан

Мені нічого не залишалося як поїхати з ними.