When to use can and could. Everything about the verbs can and could in English: rules, examples, schemes

Today we will begin to study the category of modality. It includes verbs that are not actions, but allow you to designate shades of the main events. With their help, the desire, possibility, prohibition or permission of the specified action is expressed. In today's lesson, we will analyze what and when the modal verb can in English is intended to denote. This is the most ambiguous and frequently spoken representative of this group. Consider its construction, application and other grammatical nuances.

In general, using this verb is not difficult, so even textbooks for kids contain the principle of forming phrases with can. Of course, only the simplest designs are selected for children, but complicated combinations are not difficult for older people.

present tense

In an affirmative sentence, the compound predicate has the form " can+ infinitive". It is important to note that in this case, infinitives are always used without to.

• Nick can run fastNick can run fast.
• my sister can cook a cakeMysistercanCookcake.

The conjugation of the verb can in the present tense is the same for all persons of nouns and pronouns: it never changes its form and does not add any endings. By meaning, this form of the verb can express the events of the present or future (nearest).

• My relatives can meet me at the railway station tomorrowMorelativeswill be abletomorrowmeetmeon thestation.
• She can call themtodayShe can call them today.

Modal verbs do not require the participation of auxiliary words, since in fact they themselves are. Therefore, they create interrogative and negative contexts on their own.

In questions, the compound predicate is broken, and can moves to the beginning of the sentence. If there are special interrogative words in the phrase, then they always precede the modal word.

• Can you bring thebook? – Can you bring this book?
• When can they arrive to us? - When can they come to us?

To negate the main verb, can attaches the particle not, forming the combination cannot or abbreviated can't. Pay attention to the continuous spelling of the official form.

• Mywife cannot drive acarMy wife can't drive a car.
• I can 't cook lambchopsI can't cook lamb chops.

Sometimes the verb can is used in English to construct interrogative-negative phrases. They are used in colloquial speech, as they carry an emotional connotation.

• Can 't yourchild warm up foodinthemicrowave? Can't your child heat up food in the microwave?
• Can 't they send methefax? Can't they send me a fax?

Past tense

Officially, grammar distinguishes three forms for a given modal word.

We will keep silent about the subjunctive mood for now, since this is a very complex grammatical complex, but we will consider the constructions of the past.

The past is characterized by all the same forms of structures as in the present, only can is transformed into could. The modal word is still the same for all persons and numbers.

• I could play basketballverywellwhenIwasateenager– I could play basketball very well when I was a teenager.
• could he read whenhewasfive? Did he know how to read when he was 5 years old?
• my friend could not (couldn't) pass the exam - Myfriendnotcouldpassexam.
• couldn't 't she call me? Couldn't she have called me?

Often, in the past tense, instead of could, the verb manage is used (the form of pr. is managed). Its meaning is "succeeded, succeeded." Please note that in this case the infinitive will be used already with the particle to.

• The exam was difficult but I managed to pass it-Examwasdifficult,butto mesucceededpasshis.
• She trained hard and she managed to break the world record-She islottrainedandatherhappenedbeatworldrecord.

Note that sometimes there is the use of can and could in combination with the perfect infinitive, i.e. in combination can/could+ have+ participle II. We will talk more about this a little later, when we discuss use cases.

Future tense

The modal verb can in English cannot officially be used in the future tense, i.e. you cannot add will to it. Yes, with its help you can designate shades of the future, as in Present Simple, but nothing more.

We can use can to refer to features we already have, but we plan to take advantage of in the future. If, we are talking about what we will only master or receive, then it is necessary to replace can with its equivalent to be able to. This expression is translated as "to be able to do something" and can be used in all tense forms: past, presentand future.

• Myfather is able to solve anyproblemMy father is able to solve any problem.
• Jack was able to dial thenumberandcallthepoliceJack was able to dial a number and call the police.

However, most often this combination is used to express precisely future events.

• We will be able to move to Spain in three yearsWewe canrun overinSpainthrough 3 of the year.
• Nextyear I will be able to speak Englishfluently– Next year I will be able to speak English fluently. .

The turnover to be able to can also be used to express a question or a negative.

• Will you be able to pay forsecond vocational education? – Will you be able to pay for a second vocational education?
• They will not (won't) be able to buy a new model of this carThey arewillnotinablebuynewmodelthiscars.

We have analyzed how the modal verbs can, could and to be able to are used in sentences of various types. Now let's talk about their semantic meaning.

The verb can in English - when and why is it used?

In the preface to the material, we already noted that this verb is polysemantic. The table below will help us to consider in detail all the situations of its use. In it, we give examples of structures and their translation.

can application
Situation	Examples	Translation
1. Indication of skills, abilities, abilities. Expression of the possibility of performing actions related to mental abilities or physical achievements. Can indicates generalized, regular, or periodic actions. If it is clear from the context of the sentence that this is a single case, then it is better to replace can with a predicate with be able to.	my sister can dance like a professional.	My sister can dance like a pro.
	Is she able to dance in the concert today?	Can she dance in tonight's concert?
	We cannot bake a banana pie.	We don't know how to bake a banana pie.
	They will be able to move to London soon.	They will soon be able to move to London.
	my son could not swim when he was seven.	My son couldn't swim when he was 7 years old.
	Can you play a guitar?	Can you play the guitar?
	She was not able to run at that moment.	At that moment, she was unable to run.
	I can play chess well. But last time I didn't manage to win.	I am good at playing chess. But last time I didn't manage to win.
2. Designation of permission and prohibition. In this category modal verbs can, may and must have similar meanings . But, specifically can has a generalized specificity, is more colloquial in nature, and is more often used in interrogative and negative phrases.	Can I use your computer? yes, you can.	May I use your computer? Yes, use it.
	The children cannot go out.	Children are not allowed to go outside.
	You can go to the club after you clean the flat.	You can go to the club after you clean the apartment.
	Nobody can play with my toys!	Nobody can play with my toys!
	She can come in.	She can enter.
	You can't watch such films.	You shouldn't watch such films.
3. Expression of request. This meaning can be used modal verbs can, could, as well as may, might. Moreover, the past forms always express an extreme degree of politeness and respect. Shades of meanings vary in degree of formality - can is a more colloquial variant. However, in recent years, the British are increasingly preferring the use of can instead of might.	could you open window?	Could you open the window?
	Mom, can I buy chips and cola?	Mom, can I buy some chips and coke?
	could you give me a glass of water?	Could you give me a glass of water?
	Can I lend your pencil?	May I borrow your pencil?
	dad, can I buy two games?	Dad, can I buy 2 games?
	could you spell his name?	Could you spell his name?
	Can we go home?	Can we go home?
4. Indication of an objective possibility, i.e. what is theoretically possible or forbidden.	You can read about this case in the newspaper.	You can read about this case in the newspaper.
	We cannot cross the street here.	We can't cross the street here.
	He can find it on the Internet.	He can find it on the Internet.
	I couldn't change the situation.	I couldn't change the situation.
5. Expression of doubt, surprise, distrust. For doubt use questions with can. And distrust is expressed by the denial of can't, but the extreme degree of distrust is expressed by a question with could.	Can it be true?	Is that really true?
	He can't run faster than I can.	He can't run faster than me.
	could our son be in this club?	How could our son be in this club?
	Can she learn English herself?	Is she learning English on her own?
6. Designation of the possibility of performing actions in the past, their assumption or reproach for non-fulfillment. These are just the cases in which the perfect infinitive and could are used. At the same time, negative phrases carry a shade of improbability of events.	She could have told me about it.	She could tell me about it. (but didn't tell)
	He couldn't have called you!	He couldn't call you! (unbelievable that he called her).
	They could have gone to the theater, but they didn't.	They could have gone to the theatre, but they didn't.
	The door was closed. Who could have closed it? Jack could have closed the door; the neighbors' say that they saw him.	The door was closed. Who could close it? Jack could close it because the neighbors say they saw him.

The verb can refers to a group of verbs that have certain characteristics.

In this article I will tell you how this group of verbs differs from the rest, in what cases we use can, consider the past form of this verb and learn how to build all kinds of sentences with it.

Features of the use of verbs expressing the attitude of the speaker

Can refers to a group of verbs that express the personal attitude of the speaker. For example: possibility, desire, duty, necessity, readiness.

Such verbs have a number of features that distinguish them from other English verbs:

1. They are independent verbs..

You do not need to use do, does, did, will, etc. with them to ask a question or construct a negative. Not (in negation) is added to them themselves. And in questions, they are put first in the sentence.

He does not fly.
He cannot fly.

He cannot fly.
He cannot fly.

Does he can fly?
Can he fly?

Can he fly?
Can he fly?

2. After such verbs, the particle to is never put.

He can fly.
He can fly.

He can fly.
He can fly.

3. These verbs do not change their ending, depending on the character

He can't fly.
He can fly.

He can fly.
He can fly.

The use of the verb can in English

The verb can is translated as "I can". We use it when we talk about the present tense.

The verb can is used in the following situations:

1. When we talk about mental or physical ability
(I can swim, I can solve the equation)

I can dance.
I can dance.

Tony can run fast.
Tony maybe run fast.

2. When asking permission to do something or asking for a request
(may I open the window, may I ask a question)

Can I look at this document?
I can I take a look at this document?

Can she bring me coffee?
Maybe she bring me coffee?

3. When we talk about being able to do something
(I can help you, I can bring it)

4. When talking about the likelihood that something will happen
(he might be late, it might be heavy)

The verb can in the past tense

The verb can has the past tense form could, which translates as "could".

Could is used in the following situations:

1. To express the possibility or ability to do something in the past.
(might try, might play all day as a kid)

I could help.
I could help.

He could speak French.
He could To speak French.

pay attention e: Could is used in another meaning that has nothing to do with past tense. It is used:

2. To ask permission or make a request in a more polite way than with can.
(could you close the window, could you bring me some water)

could we sit?
could would we sit down?

could you call Tom?
could would you call Tom?

could will you help me?
could would you help me?

This form is very actively used in travel when you ask strangers to tell you something or help you.

Affirmative sentences with the verb can/could

Affirmative sentences - when we affirm something, that is, we say that someone can / could do something.

The verb can is self-contained, so it does not require other auxiliary verbs. Also, don't forget that it doesn't change in any way depending on the actor. The sentence structure will be as follows:

The person in question + can/could + action

I
You
We		dance
They	can/could	swim
She		cook
He
It

You can invite other people.
You can invite other people.

He could kiss her.
He could kiss her.

Negative sentences with the verb can/could

Using this verb in a negative sentence, we say that someone of something can't/couldn't. In this case, we add a negative particle not to can. Sentence formation scheme:

The one in question + can/could + not + action

I
You
We			dance
They	can/could	not	swim
She			cook
He
It

Note: Can with the not particle are written in one word, that is, we do not put a space between them: cannot.

She cannot stop crying.
She is can not stop crying.

I could not go to the cinema.
I couldn't go to the cinema.

Abbreviations:

When negating, we can use the following abbreviations:

can + not = can't

could + not = couldn't

I can’ t answer your question.
I I can not answer your question.

She couldn't’ t leave a lesson.
She is I could not leave the lesson.

Interrogative sentences with the verb can/could

To ask someone if they can do something, we need to be able to build interrogative sentences. To ask the question can we bring it to the first place. Sentence formation scheme:

Can / could + the one in question + action?

	I
	you
	we	dance?
Can/could	they	cook?
	she	swim?
	he
	it

Can we talk?
Can we talk?

could do you explain this rule?
could would you explain this rule to me?

When answering, you can use can/cannot:

Yes, I can.
Yes I can.

No, I cannot.
No I can not.

As well as other expressions that make sense. For example:

Ofcourse.
Certainly.

sure.
Certainly.

I think so.
I think yes.

I doubt it.
I doubt.

I'm afraid not.
I am afraid it is not.

Interrogative sentences with qualifying words

To clarify any information of interest to us, we can use the following words when asking a question:

• What - what
• Where - where
• Who - who
• Which - which
• Why - why
• When - when

To build a question with these words, we put them first, the rest of the word order remains the same as in a regular question. The scheme for the formation of such a question:

Clarifying words + can / could + the one in question + action?

		I
		you
What		we	write?
Where	can/could	they	cook?
When		she	dance?
		he
		it

When can you call me?
When can you call me?

What could I tell him?
What could I say to him?

So, today we got acquainted with the verb can, which has certain features in use. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments. And now it's time to move on to practice.

Reinforcement task

Translate the following sentences into English. Leave your answers in the comments below the article, and I will answer them.

1. Can you remind me to take an umbrella? Yes I can.
2. He could have warned you.
3. They cannot swim across this river.
4. Could you wait? Yes, I could wait.
5. She couldn't speak English.
6. Can your friends turn off the music? No, they can't turn off the music.
7. He can drive a car.
8. Can she sing a song?

Modal verbs are those that characterize duties, opportunities, desires and the need for action. They directly convey the attitude of the speaker to what is happening.
Despite the fact that modal verbs are strong and do not need the use of an auxiliary verb, when building interrogative and negative sentences, they cannot be used on their own without a semantic verb:

I cannot fly. - I can not fly.
You may go. - You can go.

In English, modal verbs are used independently only when they make up a short answer, or the meaning of the statement is clear from the previous context in which semantic (weak) verbs are used:

- Can you read this?
-I can.

Most people cannot run as fast as animals, but some can.

In English for expression possibilities / impossibilities or abilities / inability to do something, two modal verbs are most commonly used - can and May.

They do not change in persons and numbers, as evidenced by the absence of an ending -s- in the present simple tense, do not have all the usual forms for weak verbs (for example, the ending -ing) and do not require the help of an auxiliary verb do/do/did.

Can vs. May

Can and May have meaning in Russian be able / be able / allow. It should be noted right away that in most cases they are not interchangeable. The following statement is written on the image accompanying the article illustration:

Do as you may if you can't do as you could.

This aphorism uses three modal verbs at once, and all three will have different shades of meaning. The sentence itself is translated as follows:

Do what you are allowed to do if you are forbidden to do what you could.

There are certain criteria for choosing one or another verb.

Can has two forms in English - present tense and past tense could, which will also be used in the subjunctive.
However, in English it is possible to use the modal verb can in the future tense. In this case, it will be replaced by an equivalent verb to be able to do smth.

I can read English.-Present Simple
He thought he could do it alone.- Past Simple
I wish I could see it.
He told me he could have seen it earlier.- Perfect

She will be able to finish the painting in Summer.- Future

May used in English in the present tense and past might, which can also be found in subjunctive sentences.

May I come in?-Present Simple
They might come yesterday.- Past Simple
He might be at home.- Subjunctive mood (subjunctive mood)

Use of Can and May

Modal verb can has a wider range of uses compared to the verb May.

1. For expression ability or ability to do something use can:

I can swim. Can you?

2. Can also used to denote opportunities(theoretical or according to some rules):

You can find it in any dictionary.
Russian Railways can chage the fares seasonally.- Russian Railways may change tariffs depending on the season.

3. When banned used for something cannot (can't). You can also meet with prohibitions May, but they will sound too “soft”:

You cannot talk too loud in the library. You can't speak loudly in the library.
You may not talk loudly in the library. You are not allowed to speak loudly in the library.

4. Request can be expressed through can or could. The latter in this case will have emphasized courtesy:

Can you pass me some butter?
Could you pass me some butter?

5. When expressing surprise in interrogative sentences or reproach the narration often uses a modal verb can. Its form could will reflect the extreme degree of the state:

How can you be so rude?- How can you be so rude?
You could tell me in the end.- After all, you could tell me!

6. Cannot (can't) used to denote strong distrust:

She can't work there.- She can't work there.
They couldn't have done it.- They just couldn't do it.

Please note that in almost all cases of use could, the verb underlines exaggerated attitude speaking to current events.

In situations where you ask permission to do something can be used both modal verbs. Offers from May at the same time they will sound more formally:

You can come in.- You can come in.
You may have come in.- Come in./ You can come in.

Modal verbs may/might contain character speaker's uncertainty about the events described. As with could, the past form might transmits greater degree of uncertainty:

Somebody's calling. It may be Mary.- Someone's calling. Maybe it's just Mary.
It may rain. Take an umbrella.- It can start raining. Take the umbrella.

Modal verb May most often used in particularly polite treatment:

May I sit down?- Can I sit down? / May I sit down?
Can I sit down? would rather be translated “May I sit down?”

Often might used in the expression reproach. The proposal sounds particularly poignant:

You might have told me beforehand.- I could have warned you in advance.

In this article, we started a big important topic on modal verbs and talked about two of them. In future publications, we will definitely try to highlight the remaining representatives of this category.

We wish you to be able to master this grammar material! May success be with you!

Victoria Tetkina

If you want to say that you are something you can or know how, you need to use the verb "can".

"Can" is translated "to be able, to be able." It has only one form of "Can" in the present tense, which makes it much easier to use. I usually start my acquaintance with verbs with him, because. children very quickly understand how to use it, and it is convenient to explain all the rules for constructing a sentence in English.

So, the scheme is very simple:

subject + CAN + verb. We do not add anything to the semantic verb, it is “naked”, that is, in front of it is a particle to not set. We can say the opposite: we remove the particle from the verb to.

Examples : I can jump, he can ride a bike, we can dance well, Kate can read, we can do our homework ouselves etc.

Statement	Question	Negation	Reduction	Short answer
	Can I?	I cannot	I can't	Yes, I can\ No, I can't
	Can you?	You cannot	You can't	Yes, you can\No you can't
	Can he?	He cannot	He can't	Yes, he can\No, he can't
	Can she?	She cannot	She can't	Yes, she can\No, she can't
	Can it?	It cannot	It can't	Yes, it can\ No, it can't
	Can we?	We cannot	We can't	Yes, we can\ No, we can't
You can	Can you?	You cannot	You can't	Yes, you can\ No, you can't
	Can they?	They cannot	They can't	Yes, they can\ No, they can't

CAN'T in the British version it reads as the Americans say:

I remember my teacher in the courses stubbornly demanded to pronounce . I usually introduce this variant to children, explaining the differences, but do not require British pronunciation, because it is unpopular and harder to pronounce.

note that in Russian, to ask a question, they use interrogative intonation, and in writing they indicate a question mark at the end. You know how to dance. Can you dance? And in English it depends on the grammatical construction of the sentence, that is, on the position of the auxiliary or modal verb. In a statement - after the subject, in a question - before the subject: you can dance. Can you dance?

Features of the answer to the general question:

If you are asked, you answer "yes" or "no" by changing the personal pronoun:

Can you buy that bag for me? Can you buy me this bag?

yes, I can\No, I can't - Yes.\No.

After a short answer, you can continue with a full sentence:

Can you buy that bag for me?

yes, I can. I buy shall it tomorrow. (What color of the bag do you want?)

Various examples:

Can you understand me? - Can you understand me? — Yes, I can. - Yes.

Can you take your son go fishing with you? Can you take your son fishing with you?

I can't swim at all. - I can't swim at all.

Separation, alternative and special questions.

1. A disjunctive question begins with a statement, then a comma and an interrogative part, consisting of a modal verb and a pronoun, are put. If the first part is an affirmation, then the second is a negation and vice versa.

You can't swim, can you? - You can't swim, can you?

My sister can help you, can't she? “My sister can help you, can't she?

We can spend holidays in Greece, can't we? We can spend our holidays in Greece, can't we?

2. An alternative question is built as a general question (see table), with the addition of a union or and an alternative word.

Can you go shopping with me or not? - You can go shopping with me or No?

Can you sing or dance? - Can you sing or dance?

3. A special question is built using special words WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, HOW MANY, HOW MUCH and others. CAN is placed after the question word. It is followed by the subject.

Question. sl. + CAN+ (who, what) + verb+ rest +?

What can you buy there? What can you buy there? How can I help you? - How can I help you? Where can we go? - Where can we go? How much money can you borrow me? How much (money) can you borrow me?

Gogo's I can... I can't

In contact with

In English there is a separate group of verbs - the modal verbs - modal verbs. Their list is headed by the modal verb can and its past tense form could. This verb is included in the school study of the basics of the English language from the first years of his education. Modal verbs are fundamentally different from other verbs in that they can be used independently and do not indicate any specific action or state.

The use of the modal verb

The verb can in English means "to be able, to be able, to be able", respectively, "could, could, was able" in the past tense. This modal expresses the ability of the person - the subject in the sentence - to perform the action indicated by the infinitive, with which the modal verb is used:

• I can ski - I can ski.

In this case, the subject (I) can perform the action (ski) indicated by the main verb after the modal. Same as other suggestions:

• We can read - We can read.
• You can write - You can write.
• She could do it - She could do it (can in past tense)
• We could build this house - We could build this house (can in past tense)

This verb can express:

• general opportunity or ability: I can attend this lesson today - I can attend this lesson today. Or: She can go hiking in spring - She can go hiking in the spring;
• form of permission or prohibition: She can go to the shop - She can go to the store. Or: You cannot take this thing - You cannot take this thing;
• a polite request for something: Can you help me? - You can help me? Or: Can we help this woman? - Can we help this woman?

The specified modal verb, as well as its counterparts, does not have plural forms and endings when forming sentences with nouns or pronouns of the third person singular:

• Nick can - Nick can (can)
• Jane can - Jane can (can)
• children can - children can (can)
• we could - we could (could) (can in the past tense)
• they could - they could (could) (can in past tense)

To compose an interrogative sentence, the modal verb (both in the present and in the past tense) does not require additional auxiliary verbs, it itself performs all their function:

• Can you repeat this word? - Can you repeat this word?
• Could she make a bowl? - Could she make this bowl?

The modal verb "to be able, to be able, to be able" does not have the form of participle, gerund and infinitive. But if the construction of the sentence requires such a form, synonymous combinations are used in the meaning of the ability or permission to perform any action: to be allowed, to be able to.

I "ll be able to come to your place in a week - I can come to you in a week.

That is, "I am able and I am allowed to enter you in a week." Here we use verbs with a similar translation to the modal verb.

If another verb follows the modal in the sentence, the particle to is not required between them. This rule applies to all modal verbs:

• I can hide my daybook - I can hide my diary.
• We can walk to the park - We can walk to the park.

Expressing surprise with a modal verb

With the help of this modal verb, one can express surprise, distrust, or doubt that the person - the subject of the sentence - actually performed the action indicated by the infinitive form, which is combined with the modal verb or its past tense form could.

In this variant, the modal verb is used only in interrogative or negative sentences:

• Can (could) she speak Spain so well already? "Does she already know how to speak Spanish so well?"
• Can (could) you finish this big report already? - Have you already finished this big report?
• Can (could) she repair this car already? "Can she fix this car already?"

In a sentence, after a modal verb, the infinitive occurs in different forms. If the action expressed by the infinitive refers to the present, a non-perfect infinitive (simple or continuous) is used.

In the event that the specified action refers to the past, the perfect infinitive is used (simple or continued form):

• Could they have prepared their lessons so quickly? - Was she able to prepare the lessons so quickly?

In this form, the modal verb can, could does not express the time of action, it is shown by the infinitive following the modal verb.

In these examples, it has the form of the indicative mood, which expresses a lesser degree of doubt. Could, on the other hand, is a subjunctive form and expresses a greater degree of doubt in the sentence:

• I have a felling I know this woman. Could it be Mary Cary? - I think I know this woman. Is it Mary Carey?

Modal verb forms

Modal - these are two forms of the same word: the first form is the present tense, the second is the past simple tense. Forms of the verb can in the present tense: in the affirmative form can, in the negative form cannot (abbreviated as can't). The abbreviated form is used mainly for colloquial speech.

The form of the past tense - in the affirmative meaning could, in the negative - could not (abbreviated couldn't).

This verb has no future tense. Synonyms are used for it:

• In summer we’ll be able to swim on other side of river - In summer we will be able to swim on the other side of the river.
• Our son will be able to read this lecture - Our son will be able to read this lecture.
• I'll be able to come to your room in an hour - I can come to your room in an hour.
• I "ll be allowed to visit this museum - I am allowed (I can) visit this museum.
• You will be allowed to go another country for the weekend - You are allowed (you can) go to another country for the weekend.

But with the help of a modal verb, you can make a sentence in the future tense:

• We can read this poem after this lecture - We can read this poem after this lecture.
• We can visit our grandmother after tomorrow - We can visit our grandmother the day after tomorrow.

Interrogative sentences are constructed very simply - the modal verb is put in the first place in the sentence and a question is obtained instead of a statement, to which you can give a short or detailed answer:

You can speak English very well - Can you speak English very well? - No, I cannot speak English very well.

Can you speak English very well - Can you speak English very well? - No, I can't speak English very well.

Note that the translation of the statement and the question does not change, only the semantic load changes and the intonation of the question is added.

Can you play the piano - Can you play the piano? Yes, I can play the piano

Can you play the piano - Can you play the piano? - Yes I can.

We could order a favorite meat in the restaurant - Could we order a favorite meal in the restaurant? - No, we couldn't

We could order our favorite food at the restaurant - We could order our favorite food at the restaurant? - No, we couldn't.

Repeat examples

Try to answer the questions and guess how to make a statement out of the question, using a modal verb in the past or present tense:

Can your sister play tennis? - Does your sister know how to play tennis?

Can you swim well? - Can you swim well?

Could you walk around the city alone? - Could you walk around the city alone?

Could your granny drive a car? - Did your grandmother know how to drive a car?

Could you write your book without helping friends? - Could you write your book without the help of friends?

Could you go to the theater yesterday? - Could you go to the theater yesterday?

Answers to such questions will be short options using the appropriate form of the modal verb:

Yes, I can (Yes, I can) or No, I can't (No, I can't);

Yes, I could (Yes, I could) or No, I couldn't (No, I couldn't).

Past tense forms of the verb can

In the first lessons of teaching a language at school, many words are introduced. This list includes past tense verbs in English. The table in which they are listed, children and adults learn by heart. But there is no modal verb under study in this table. This is another case of exception that you just need to learn by heart.

The past tense form could can be used to express a polite request:

Could I have this pen, please? - May I have this pen?

Could I open the window? - Can I open the window?

Could you close the door? - Can you close the door?

Could he have a cup of tea? - Can he have a cup of tea?

Past tense verbs in English

The verb can in English can form the past indefinite tense - The Past Simple Tense. Past tense modal verbs in English in the table.