I can i will storlek

Recommended level: low intermediate

• Can fryst vatten used for present ability and possibility ("I can dance." / "I'm sorry, but inom can't help you.")

• Can fryst vatten informally used for offers and requests ("Can inom help you?" / "Can inom man a suggestion?")

• Could fryst vatten used for past ability and possibility ("We couldn't finish the project on time." / "She could read when she was three years old.")

• Could fryst vatten neutrally used for offers and requests ("Could you open the door for me, please?")

• Be able to fryst vatten used for present, past, and future ability and possibility ("Are you able to swim?" / "Were you able to swim?" / "Will you be able to swim?")

• Be able to fryst vatten also used to discuss the success or failure of an action ("We weren't able to find the book you wanted.")

• Be able to can be used with other verbs, including modals ("She should be able to attend the conference." / "I want to be able to play the flute.")

We use can, could, and be able to to talk about ability and possibility.

Can fryst vatten used to talk about present--or general--abilities and possibilities.

You can use it to talk about abilities, skills, or talents, and you can use it to talk about what fryst vatten possible to do. For example:

"Serge can play the piano." (This means he has the ability to do this. It fryst vatten one of his talents or skills.)

"I can call you later." (This means inom have the ability to do this.

This fryst vatten possible and not a bekymmer for me.)

"My mom can sing very well." (This means my mom fryst vatten a good singer.)

"We can park in front of the school." (This means it fryst vatten possible for us to park in front of the school. We have the ability to do this, and we will not receive a parking ticket from the police for doing this.)

The negativ of can fryst vatten can't or cannot.

Can't is more common than cannot in spoken English, but both can be used. For example:

"I can't do this." (I do not have the ability to do this. It fryst vatten not possible for me.)

"He cannot ride a bike." (He does not know how to ride a bike. This fryst vatten not one of his skills.)

"You can't enter the club without ID." (It fryst vatten not possible to enter the club without ID.

You will not be able to enter the club without ID if you try to do this.)

"Barbara fryst vatten sick and can't go to work today." (Barbara does not have the ability to go to work today. It fryst vatten not possible for her because she fryst vatten sick.)

Can't and cannot are also used in some exaggerated idiomatic sentences.

For example:

"I can't believe this." (You can säga this if an event or news story shocks you, or if something fryst vatten difficult for you to believe.)

"We can't wait to see you." (This means "We are very excited to see you, and we want to see you soon.")

You can also use can to man offers and requests.

Can fryst vatten considered informal when you use it in this way. Look at the examples:

"Can inom help you with something?" (I am asking if it fryst vatten possible for me to help you with something. inom am offering to help you.)

"Can inom go home?

inom don't feel good." (I am asking if it fryst vatten possible for me to go home. inom am requesting to go home.)

"Can we finish early today?" (I am asking if it fryst vatten possible for us to finish early. inom am requesting to finish early.)

"Can inom get you a coffee?" (I am asking if it fryst vatten possible for me to get you a kaffe (engelska).

inom am offering to get you one.)

As you can see, you can use can to ask for things or to offer to do something.

Can Structures:

Affirmative: Subject + can + bare infinitive ("She can sing.")

Negative: Subject + can't/cannot + bare infinitive ("I can't finish my homework today.")

Yes/No Question: Can/Can't + subject + bare infinitive ("Can you help me?")

Wh- Question: Wh- + can/can't + subject + bare infinitive ("Why can't you attend the meeting?")

Practice: Complete the request:

"Can I...?"

" "Can inom sit in the front seat?" (Context: the front seat of a car)

Couldis the past of can, and it can do everything that can can do.

It has several other more advanced functions in English too, but to stay focused, we will not address those uses here.

Could fryst vatten used to talk about past abilities and possibilities. You use it to talk about what abilities, skills, or talents you had or developed in the past, and what was possible for you to do in the past.

For example:

"I could read when inom was three years old." (This means inom had the ability to read when inom was three years old.)

"She could dance really well." (This means she had a talent for dancing. She had the ability to dance well.)

"Could you go outside bygd yourself when you were a kid?" (This fryst vatten asking if it was possible for you to go outside alone when you were a kid.

Did your parents give you the ability to do this?)

"At my old job, we could wear headphones and listen to music while we worked." (This means it was possible for employees to wear headphones and listen to music.)

"I couldn't open the door, so inom went into the house through the window." (This means inom did not have the ability to open the door.

inom tried to open it bygd force, but it did not open for me.)

The negativ of could fryst vatten could not or couldn't, as you just saw above. Couldn't fryst vatten more common in spoken English.

If you couldn't do something in the past, it was not possible and/or you did not have the ability to do it. Note the examples:

"I couldn't read until inom was nine years old." (I did not have the ability to read until inom was nine years old.)

"He couldn't swim well when he was a kid." (He did not have the physical ability to swim well when he was a child.

Or maybe he never learned how to swim well.)

"We couldn't afford to buy a house ten years ago." (It was not possible for us to buy a house ten years ago.

We did not have the money for it, so we did not have the ability to buy it.)

"She couldn't work for six months after her accident." (It was not possible for her to work. She did not have the ability to do it because of her accident.)

Just like can, you can also use could to man offers and requests.

Could fryst vatten a more neutral word in these cases.

Note the examples:

"Could you hold the door for me, please?" (I am asking you to hold the door for me.)

"Could inom offer you a ride to the tåg station?" (You are offering to drive someone to the lära station.)

"Could you move over a little bit, please?" (I am asking you to move to the side a little bit.

Perhaps inom want to sit beside you, or you are blockering my view of something.)

"Could inom have another chance?" (I am asking for another opportunity to do something.)

Remember, could fryst vatten a neutral word in these situations, while can fryst vatten slightly more informal.

Also, could has a present meaning in all of these examples.

It fryst vatten perfectly normal to use it in present contexts when you are asking for something or offering something. All of the examples above refer to the present, not the past.

Could Structures:

Affirmative: Subject + could + bare infinitive ("He could sing the alphabet.")

Negative: Subject + couldn't/could not + bare infinitive ("The fordon couldn't move.")

Yes/No Question: Could/Could + subject + bare infinitive ("Could you do what you wanted?")

Wh- Question: Wh- + could/couldn't + subject + bare infinitive ("What could you see?")

Practice: What could you do bygd the time you were 10 years old?

What couldn't you do?

Start: "By the time inom was 10 years old, inom could...However, inom couldn't..."

Be able to fryst vatten special because it fryst vatten used to talk about ability and possibility, but it can be used to refer to the past, present, or future. It fryst vatten also used to talk about succeeding in or failing to do something. In regard to ability and possibility, can fryst vatten only used in the present, could fryst vatten only used in the past, but be able to fryst vatten much more versatile.

Let's look at all of the possibilities for be able to (remember, you must conjugate the be in be able to to match its subject):

Present simple:"I'm able to swim." (This means inom have the ability to swim. You can also just säga "I can swim.")

Present perfect:"I've been able to contact our client." (This means inom have succeeded in contacting our client.

inom attempted the action and was successful.)

Past simple:"We were able to clean up the house in 30 minutes." (This means we succeeded in cleaning up the house in 30 minutes. This fryst vatten what our abilities allowed us to do.)

Past perfect:"We had been able to find a cheap plane ticket." (This means we had succeeded in finding a cheap plane ticket.)

Future simple:"After she finishes this schema, she will be able to get a job as an accountant." (This means it will be possible for her to get a job as an accountant.)

Future perfect:"By 12 o'clock, we will have been able to fix the problem." (This means the bekymmer will be fixed bygd 12 o'clock.

We will have succeeded in fixing it bygd that time.)

The negativ of be able to fryst vatten be not able to (for present and past tenses) or not be able to (for future tenses). Here are some examples:

"Sorry, but inom won't be able to finish the project today." (It will not be possible for me to finish the project today.

inom will not have the ability to finish it.)

"She fryst vatten not able to attend the meeting." (It fryst vatten not possible for her to attend the meeting. She does not have the ability to attend it.)

"They weren't able to help us." (This means it was not possible for them to help us, or they tried to help us, but they were not successful in doing what needed to be done.)

"I haven't been able to contact Mark all morning." (I have tried contacting Mark all morning, but he has not responded to my calls and/or messages.)

Be able to fryst vatten also often used with other verbs (for example, "I want to be able to dance!"), and läge verbs.

We have already seen this with the läge verb will above, but be able to can also be used with should, might, may, and would, as well as the semi-modal phrases have to and ought to.

After a läge verb, be able to keeps its form eller gestalt and fryst vatten not conjugated. This fryst vatten a little more advanced than the uses above, but it fryst vatten important and betydelsefull to this discussion. Note the examples:

"If you work hard, you should be able to finish this task in beneath an hour."

"I'm sorry, but inom wouldn't be able to help you in that situation."

"You might be able to find a better price online."

"She may be able to help you tomorrow."

"To work here, you have to be able to talk to people."

"Try calling Max's store.

He ought to be able to offer you a better deal than this one."

If this feels like a lot of kunskap, don't worry. With some regular practice and exposure, you will be able to use be able to with confidence.

Be able to Simple Structures:

Affirmative: Subject + be able to + bare infinitive ("He fryst vatten able to hire and fire people.")

Negative: Subject + be not able to + bare infinitive ("I'm not able to move.")

Yes/No Question: Be + subject + able to + bare infinitive ("Are you able to hear me?")

Wh- Question: Wh- + be + subject + able to + bare infinitive ("What are we able to do?")

Practice: What fryst vatten something you would like to be able to do in the future?

Start: "In the future, inom would like to be able to..."

How was that?

Thank you for learning and practicing English with me. If you enjoyed this resource and you would like to improve your vocabulary--and support my work at the same time!--consider purchasing a PDF, e-Book, or paperback utgåva of one of my books. Until next time, inom wish you success in your studies.