Grammar

Can / Could (Ability and Permission)

Use 'can' for present ability and informal permission or requests. Use 'could' for past ability and for more polite requests.

Post

Level A2 Modals

Summary

Use 'can' for present ability and informal permission or requests. Use 'could' for past ability and for more polite requests.

Structure

subject + can/could + base verb

Examples

I can swim very well.
Could you help me with this bag, please?
When I was young, I could run for miles.
Can I leave early today?

Common mistakes

• Don't add 'to' after can/could: NOT 'I can to swim' → 'I can swim.'
• Don't add -s for he/she/it: NOT 'She cans drive' → 'She can drive.'

Related

May / Might (Possibility) Must / Have To (Obligation)

More modals

Must / Have To (Obligation) B1

Use 'must' and 'have to' to express obligation or necessity. 'Mustn't' means something is forbidden, while 'don't have to' means there is no obligation.

May / Might (Possibility) B1

Use 'may' and 'might' to talk about present or future possibility. 'May' is also used for formal permission.

Would for Past Habits B2

Use 'would' to talk about repeated past actions and habits, similar to 'used to'. Unlike 'used to', 'would' is not normally used for past states.

Would (Polite Requests and Hypotheticals) B1

Use 'would' for polite requests and offers, for hypothetical results (especially in conditionals), and to describe imagined situations.

Can and Can't for Ability A1

Use 'can' to say someone is able to do something and 'can't' for inability. 'Can' is followed by the base form of the verb and stays the same for all subjects.

Should for Advice A2

Use 'should' to give advice or say what is the right thing to do. 'Shouldn't' advises against something. It is followed by the base form of the verb.

External links

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