Значение и употребление глагола can.

№ n/n	Значение	Тип предложения	Инфинитив	Пример	Перевод
1.	Способность, умение.	Любое.	Неперфектный, общего вида	I can swim.	Я умею плавать.
2.	Разрешение.	Утвердительное, вопросительное.	Неперфектный, общего вида.	You can go now. Can I take the book?	Можете идти. Можно взять эту книгу?
3.	Запрет.	Отрицательное.	Неперфектный, общего вида.	You can’t play football in the street.	На улице нельзя играть в футбол.
4.	Просьба.	Вопросительное.	Неперфектный, общего вида.	Can I have an apple?	Дайте, пожалуйста, яблоко.
5.	Сомнение, удивление.	Отрицательное, вопросительное.	Любой.	It can’t be true. Can he have gone?	Не может быть, чтобы это была правда. Неужели он ушел?

Exercises

1. Complete the sentences with could or couldn't

Example: I phoned the plumber because I could smell gas in the kitchen.

1. Jane and John saved and saved, and finally they___buy the house of their dreams.

2. I phoned you yesterday, but I___get an answer. Where were you?

3. The neighbours were having a row, and I___hear every word they said.

4. ___you speak French before you moved to Paris?

5. I went for a ten-mile run last Saturday. It nearly killed me! I___move on Sunday.

6. ___ you find all the things you wanted at the shops?

7. The police___find the man who had stolen the money. He was sent to prison.

8. My grandfather___speak four languages.

9. When we got to the top of the mountain we___see for miles.

2. Complete the sentences with can / can't / could / couldn't + one of these verbs:

eat hear run sleep wait come

1. I'm afraid I can't ___to your party next week.

2. When Tim was 16, he was a fast runner. He___100 meters in 11 seconds.

3. 'Are you in a hurry?' 'No, I've got plenty of time. I___'

4. I was feeling sick yesterday. I___anything.

5. Can you speak up a bit? I___you very well.

6. 'You look tired.' 'Yes, I___last night.'

3. Complete the sentences using can or (be) able to. Use can if possible; otherwise use (be) able to.

1. George has traveled a lot. He___speak four languages.

2. I haven't___sleep very well recently.

3. Sandra___drive but she hasn't got a car.

4. I can't understand Martin. I've never___understand him.

5. I used to___stand on my head but I can't do it now.

6. I can't see you on Friday but I___meet you on Saturday morning.

7. Ask Catherine about your problem. She might___help you.

4. Translate from Russian into English using to be able to.

1. Она не сможет вовремя добраться до аэропорта.

2. Ты сможешь отправить ему электронную почту сегодня вечером?

3. Они какое-то время не смогут смотреть телевизор.

4. Боюсь, что он не сможет помочь мне переехать в новый дом на следующей неделе.

5. Ты сможешь сделать эту работу завтра?

6. Я думаю, она не сумеет решить эту задачу.

7. Завтра я буду свободен и смогу помочь тебе.

8. Мы сможем поехать в Нью-Йорк в будущем году?

9. Ты сможешь починить мой компьютер?

10. Вчера я не смог повидать директора, так как он был на конференции, но сегодня после работы я смогу это сделать.

5. Complete the sentences using could, couldn't or was/were able to.

1. My grandfather was a very clever man. He could speak five languages.

2. I looked everywhere for the book but I___find it.

3. They didn't want to come with us at first but we___persuade them.

4. Laura had hurt her leg and___walk very well.

5. Sue wasn't at home when I phoned but I___contact her at her office.

6. I looked very carefully and I___see a figure in the distance.

7. I wanted to buy some tomatoes. The first shop I went to didn't have any but I___get some in the next shop.

8. My grandmother loved music. She___play the piano very well.

9. A girl fell into the river but fortunately we___rescue her.

10. I had forgotten to bring my camera so I___take any photographs.

6. Answer the questions with a suggestion. Use could or can.

1. Where shall we go for our holidays? (to Scotland) We could/can go to Scotland.

2. What shall we have for dinner tonight? (fish) We…

3. What shall I give Ann for her birthday? (a book) You…

4. When shall I phone Angela? (now)

5. When shall we go and see Tom? (on Friday)

6. Where shall we hang this picture? (in the kitchen)

7. Put in can or could. Sometimes either word is possible.

1. The phone is ringing. Who do you think it is?' 'It could/ can be Tim.'

2. I'm really hungry. I___eat a horse!

3. If you're very hungry, we___have dinner now.

4. It's so nice here. I___stay here all day but unfortunately I have to go.

5. 'I can't find my bag. Have you seen it?' 'No, but it___be in the car.'

6. Peter is a keen musician. He plays the flute and he___also play the piano.

7. 'What shall we do?' 'There's a film on television. We___watch that.'

8. The weather is nice now but it___change later.

8. Complete the sentences. Use could or could have + a suitable verb.

1. A: What shall we do this evening?

B: I don't mind. We____to the cinema.

2. A: I had a very boring evening at home yesterday.

B: Why did you stay at home? You___to the cinema.

3. A: There's an interesting job advertised in the paper. You___for it.

B: What sort of job is it? Show me the advertisement.

4. A: Did you go to the concert last night?

B: No. We___but we decided not to.

5. A: Where shall we meet tomorrow?

B: Well, I___to your house if you like.

9. Express doubt, surprise or disbelief using the verb can (could) according to the model, give reasons for your disbelief, surprise etc.

It looks as if she were still sleeping. Can she be still sleeping? She can’t be still sleeping. It’s time she were at work.

1. He seems to be still writing his course-paper.

2. They say he is a fair man.

3. The film is said to be very bad.

4. It seems she is silent on the matter for fear of making him angry.

5. He is said to be in a good company.

6. He appears to be still waiting for her.

7. They say she is completely cured.

8. Leave me alone. I am tired.

9. He is still hesitating about our offer.

10. They say he is still a student.

11. They say he is very experienced.

They say he put his idea into practice. Can he have put his idea into practice? He can’t have put his idea into practice. It’s quite impracticable.

1. I hear they treated her unkindly.

2. Everybody thinks her remark was intended for you.

3. He is said to have given up music.

4. Believe it or not, she hesitated before accepting his proposal of marriage.

5. I hear people say he has made a good doctor.

6. He was appointed secretary of the committee, they say.

7. He is said to have been promoted again.

8. She seems to have missed the joke.

9. I hear he sharply criticized your suggestion.

10. They put him off with some excuse and they gave the job to a different man.

11. He has guessed about our intentions, I think.

10. Express disbelief.

1. Yesterday I saw Pete in the assembly hall. ____ You can’t have seen Pete in the assembly hall yesterday.

2. The teacher permitted us to use the dictionary.

3. Nick got up at seven and did his morning exercises.

4. There were a lot of students in the library yesterday.

5. It was John who broke the window.

6. I saw Ann in the library yesterday.

7. Boris was in the canteen five minutes ago.

8. Robert took two bags with him.

9. That was Ann who plugged in the tape recorder.

10. Nick has been doing the recording for two hours already.

11. It was Mary who rewound the tape.

12. The teacher let me take the tape home.

11. Translate the sentences into English.

1. Не может быть, что они сейчас дома.

2. Не может быть, что он так много знает.

3. Не может быть, что они сейчас играю во дворе. Уже поздно

4. Не может быть, что она еще спит. Уже десять часов.

5. Не может быть, что он опоздал на поезд.

6. Не может быть, что она обманула его.

7. Не может быть, что вы сделали ошибку.

8. Не может быть, что она провалилась на экзамене.

9. Не может быть, что она предала меня.

10. Не может быть, что он бросил курить.

11. Не может быть, что он сделал это.

12. Не может быть, что он стал доктором.

13. Не может быть, что перевел эту книгу.

12. Read the situations and write questions beginning can... or could...

1. You're carrying a lot of things. You can't open the door yourself. There's a man standing near the door. You say to him: could you open the door please?

2. You phone Ann but somebody else answers. Ann isn't there. You want to leave a message for her. You say:___

3. You are a tourist. You want to go to the station but you don't know where it is. You ask at your hotel. You say:___

4. You are in a clothes shop. You see some trousers you like and you want to try them on. You say to the shop assistant:___

5. You have a car. You have to go to the same place as John, who hasn't got a car. You want to give him a lift. You say to John:___

13. There are mistakes in the following sentences. Correct the mistakes.

1) A smart house has a built-in monitoring system that cans turn lights on and off, open and close windows, operate the oven, and more.

2) Computers can helps people work more creatively.

3) But after analyzing patterns within clusters, the mining software cann start to figure out the rules that point to which claims are likely to be false.

4) The final subsets are then small enough that the mining process canns find interesting patterns and relationships within the data.

5) Mining tools can working with all types of data storage, from large data warehouses to smaller desktop databases to flat files.

6) If we canned build even one computer system that canned understand and produce human language as well as humans can, the applications of such a system would be endless.

7) Finally, solid state options such as flash cards cann’t yet match the pricing of hard disks as high capacities.

8) When a brand new computer comes off the factory assembly line, it can to do nothing

9) The database can also to be used to produce statistics for research and reports.

10) An MP3 file can stores a minute of sound per megabyte, while a WAV file needs 11 or 12 megabytes to hold the same amount.

11) You cann, therefore, say that HTML is a presentation language.

12) Current HSM systems support most hardware devices, so you can to mix and match media to suit requirements.

14. Translate from English into Russian paying attention to the modal verb can. Define the meaning of it.

1) Magnetic fields can damage the information stored on disks.

2) Computers have circuits which are able to make decisions.

3) A computer can solve a series of problems and make thousands of logical decisions without becoming tired.

4) You cannot keep a disk near a magnet.

5) The first digital computer could figure out a lot of mathematical problems at a fast rate.

6) The third generation computers could perform many data processing operations in nanoseconds, which are billionths of seconds.

7) We can define data processing as a series of actions or operations that converts data into useful information.

8) The ENIAC had two major shortcomings: it could store and manipulate only a very limited amount of information, and its programs were wired on board.

9) Any formula or those mathematical relationships that can be expressed algebraically can easily be expressed as a FORTRAN instruction.

10) The computer cannot understand instructions written in just any old way.

MAY (MIGHT)

Этот модальный глагол имеет две формы: may и might. Форма may используется для выражения настоящего и будущего времени, might для выражения прошедшего или как эмфатическая форма may, то есть более выразительная.

1) Глагол may в сочетании только с неперфектным инфинитивом общего вида употребляется для выражения разрешения произвести действие (в утвердительных и вопросительных предложениях). Например:

“May I go now?” - Теперь можно идти?

“Yes, you may.” - Да, можно.

“May I use your laptop to - Разрешите воспользоваться вашим

retrieve mail?” ноутбуком, чтобы получить почту.

The professor of Maths said that Учитель математики сказал, что нам we might use the calculators. можно пользоваться калькуляторами.

В значении разрешения глагол may практически взаимозаменяем с can, но:

1) В неформальной обстановке чаще используется глагол can, а в формальной, официальной обстановке глагол may, более предпочтительнее.

2) В значении разрешения в вопросительных предложениях may употребляется в ситуациях, зависящих от каких-либо внешних обстоятельств, а can – в ситуациях, зависящих от самого человека.

3) В Британском Английском используется may, а в американском варианте – can.

Для выражения разрешения, относящегося к будущему, а также к настоящему и прошедшему, употребляется словосочетание to be allowed (to):

We are allowed to stay at home alone. Нам разрешают оставаться дома одним.

I was allowed to drive a car yesterday. Вчера мне разрешили сесть за руль.

We will be allowed to use only a Для построений нам разрешат

compass in our constructions. использовать только циркуль.

2) Глагол may в отрицательной форме может выражать запрещение производить действие. Это значение возможно только в отрицательных предложениях. Например:

You may not enter the room Не входи в комнату,

until I say so. пока я не скажу.

You may not divulge secret Не разглашайте секретную

information. информацию.

3) В сочетании с любой формой инфинитива глагол may может обозначать предположение, возможность. В этом значении may употребляется в утвердительных и отрицательных предложениях:

He may come or he may not. Может он приедет, а может, и нет.

He may have missed the train. Может быть, он опоздал на поезд.

The virus may have some features. Вирус может обладать некоторыми

свойствами.

Неперфектный инфинитив показывает, что действие относится к настоящему или будущему, а перфектный – к прошлому.

Иногда встречаются более сложные формы с may в сочетании с be able to и have to:

I can’t translate this article. Why don’t Я не могу перевести эту статью. Почему

you ask Pete. He might be able to do бы тебе не попросить об этом Пита? Веро-

it without the dictionary. ятно, он смог бы сделать это без словаря

- You know, usually we don’t prepare - Ты знаешь, обычно мы не готовимся

for dictation, but our exam marks к диктанту, но наши оценки за экзамен

will depend on tomorrow’s work. будут зависеть от завтрашней работы.

- This time, you might have to prepare - На этот раз, вам, вероятно, придется

properly for it. тщательно подготовится.

Форма might:

В утвердительных предложениях для выражения упрека в том, что что-то не делается, не сделано:

You might have opened the door for me. Ты мог бы открыть мне дверь.

You might have used the inverse. Могли бы прибегнуть к инверсии.