Can / Be Able To

Can / Be Able To
Listed below are examples and uses of can / could / be able to for ability and permission
Examples Usage
He can play tennis well.
She is able to speak five
languages.
They can come on Friday.
Jack will be able to come
next week.
Use 'can' or 'be able to' to express an ability
or possibility
NOTE: The future of 'be able to' is 'will be
able to
He could swim when he
was five.
Could in the past means the general ability
to do something.
They were able to get
tickets for the concert.
I was able to finish before
6.
I couldn't come last night,
sorry. OR I wasn't able to
come last night, sorry.
IMPORTANT: If someone was in the
position to do something, or managed to do
something, we use 'was/were able to instead
of 'could'
In the negative,' wasn't able to' OR 'couldn't'
are both correct.

Modal Verbs are used to give advice or suggestions. There are two modal verbs used for advice: Should and
Would.

Should
Should is used for advice in the present. The structure is as follows:

Subject + Should + Base Verb
You should eat healthy food.
You should exercise every day.

Should is used for advice in the past. Here is the structure:
Should + Have + Past Participle
You should have gone to the party.
She should have studied more often.

It is common to use "should" to give negative advice. In this case, add "not".
You should not smoke.
You should not eat too much candy.

The contraction is "shouldn't".
You shouldn't drive too fast.

Would
The modal verb "would" is used to give advice. In this situation, the speaker is giving hypothetical advice as if
he/she were the listener. Here are some examples:
If I were you, I would return the book.
If I were you, I would not wear that jacket.

It is not always necessary to include "If I were you".
I wouldn't eat that.
I would choose the red shoes.


Normally, would is used to talk about yourself, and should is
used to talk about someone else.

Example:
I would study tonight if I were you.
You should study tonight.


It is also common to ask for advice using these modal verbs:
What should I do?
What would you do?

POSSIBILITY
USE OF MODALS TO EXPRESS POSSIBILITY

In affirmative sentences (that is, sentences which are not questions or negatives), we use may or might to say
there is a possibility of something happening or being true:

This may/might be his last major speech before the election.
The news may/might come as a shock to many of the people present.
When Frank gets a job, I may/might get the money back that I lent him.

There is often little difference in meaning, but might can suggest that there is less possibility.
We can also use could, but not can, to express a similar meaning. We prefer could to show that we are giving an
opinion about which we are unsure:

'Why isn't Tim here yet?' 'It may/might/could be because his mother is ill again.'
There may/might/could be some cake left. I'll go and look.

We can use can in affirmative sentences when we talk about a more general possibility of something happening
rather than the possibility of something happening in a particular situation:

The temperature can sometimes reach 35C in July.
Mountain daisies can be yellow or red.
It may/might/could rain later, {not It can...)

We prefer may rather than can in more formal contexts:

Exceeding the stated dose may cause drowsiness, (from a medicine container)

We don't use may to ask questions about the possibility of something happening. Instead we use, for example,
could(n't) or the phrase be likely:

a Could it be that you don't want to leave?
Are you likely to be visiting Greece again this summer?

It is possible to use might in this type of question, but it is rather formal:

Might they be persuaded to change their minds?

In negative sentences, including sentences with words like only, hardly or never, to say that something is not the
case we can use can't (or more formally cannot) or couldn't (or could not):

There can't/couldn't be any milk left - 1 would have seen it in the fridge.
There can/could hardly be any doubt that he was guilty.

Compare the use of may/might and can/could in negative sentences:

There are plans to rebuild the town centre, but it may not / might not happen for another ten years. (= It is
possible that it won't happen for another ten years.)
There are plans to rebuild the town centre, but it can't/couldn't happen for another ten years. (= It is not possible
that it will happen for another ten years.)

The difference is that we use may not or might not to say that it is possible that something is not true, and can't or
couldn't to say that it is not possible that something is true.

We use may well, might well or could well to say it is likely that something will happen:

The profits of the company may/might/could well reach $100 million this year.

We don't use can well in this way to talk about the future. However, can well is used to talk about something we
think or feel now:

I can well recall how I felt when John told us he was moving to South Africa.

Other words commonly used after may, might, could and can to say it is possible that something will happen are
conceivably and possibly:

The President may conceivably call an election in June. (= it is possible to believe it)
The new parking restrictions could possibly lead to fewer cars in our cities.

Compare these sentences:

I'll write the date of the meeting in my diary, otherwise I may/might/could forget it. (= talking about present or
future possibility)

Jenny's late. She may/might/could have forgotten about the meeting. (= talking about past possibility)

We use may/might/could (not 'can') + have + past participle to say it is possible that something happened in the
past:

I thought I saw Tom in town, but I may/might could have been wrong.
'Where's Barbara's camera?' 'She may/might/could have taken it with her.'

We use might/could (not 'may' or 'can') + have + past participle to say that something was possible in the past,
but we know that it did not in fact happen:

If I hadn't come along at that moment, Jim might/could have been the one arrested instead of the real thief.
The plan might/could easily have gone wrong, but in fact it was a great success.

We use might (not 'may') + infinitive to talk about what was typically the case in the past:

During the war, the police might arrest you for criticising the king.
Years ago children might be sent down mines at the age of six. (passive form)

We can also use could + infinitive in examples like this to talk about past ability (see Unit 22). For example,
'During the war, the police could arrest you...' means that the police were legally able to
arrest you.

We use may/might (not 'can') + have + past participle to say that by some time in the future, it is possible that
something will have happened:

By next Friday I may/might have completed the report.
His maths may/might have improved by the time the exam comes round.

We use may/might (not 'can') + be + -ing to say it is possible that something is happening now or to talk about a
possible future arrangement:

Malcolm isn't in his office. He may/might be working at home today.
When I go to Vienna I may/might be staying with Richard, but I'm not sure yet.

Could can be used in the same patterns instead of may or might, particularly when we want to show that we are
unsure about the possibility.

Notice that we can combine these two patterns to talk about possible situations or activities that went on over a
period of time until now:

David didn't know where the ball was, but he thought his sister might have been playing with it. (= from a past
time until now)

We use may/might/could + well/conceivably/possibly + have + past participle (compare Unit 20D) to say it is likely
that something would have happened in the past if circumstances had been different, or to say that by some time
in the future it is likely that something will have happened. (Notice that we don't use 'can well (etc.) + have + past
participle'):

I may/might/could conceivably have been tempted to take the job if it had been nearer home, (passive form)
By this time next week, I may/might/could well have left for Washington.

NEEDN'T
Mustn't and needn't / don't have to

We use mustn't to say that something is NOT ALLOWED and needn't (or don't need to) or don't have to to say
that something is NOT NECESSARY:

You mustn't walk on the grass here.
You mustn't put anything on the shelves until the glue has set hard.
They proved that watching a chess match needn't be boring.
We needn't go into details now, but we seem to agree on the general principles.

Need, needn't, and don't need to / don't have to Need can be used as a modal verb (before a bare infinitive) or as
an ordinary verb. Compare:

You needn't speak so loudly. (= modal verb)
She needn't come with us if she doesn't want to. (= modal verb)
She's thirsty. She needs a drink. (= ordinary verb)
Jim and Bob are here. They say they need to see you urgently. (= ordinary verb)

When it is a modal verb need is most commonly used in negative sentences, although it is sometimes also used
in questions:

Need you go home so soon? (or, more commonly Do you have to go...?)
Need I say more? (or, more commonly Do I have to say...?)

We can use either needn't or don't have to when we say that is unnecessary to do something:

It would be good to see you, but g y , yyo u needn't ((or don't have to) come if you're busy.
You needn't (or don't have to) whisper. Nobody can hear us.

Compare these uses of needn't and don't need to.

To give permission not to do something we can use either needn't or don't need to:

You needn't cut the grass, I'll do it later. /
You don't need to cut the grass, I'll do it later. /

To talk about a general necessity, we prefer don't need to:

You don't need to be over 18 to get into a disco. /
You needn't be over 18 to get into a disco. X
Didn't need to / didn't have to and need not have

When we say that it was not necessary to do something in the past, and it wasn't done, we use didn't need to or
didn't have to. To show that we think something that was done was not, in fact, necessary we use need not have:

Chris and June phoned to say that they couldn't come to eat, so I didn't need/have to cook dinner. (= I didn't
cook the dinner)
I needn't have cooked dinner. Just as it was ready, Chris and June phoned to say that they couldn't come to eat.
(= I did cook the dinner)

Study how we use need with scarcely, hardly, and only, particularly in formal contexts:

We need hardly point out that there is a water shortage at the moment. (= it is almost unnecessary for us to
point out...)
I need scarcely add that you will be missed. (= it is almost unnecessary for me to add...)
The changes need only be small to make the proposals acceptable.
...hardly need to point out..., ...scarcely need to add... and ...only need to be... are also possible, and less
formal.

Must and have (got) to