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6.15.3, Modals expressing ability

Modals which express ability — mental or physical are can and its past form could. He can run very fast. He could run very fast when he was a schoolboy. 1 can get the tickets tonight. She couldn't get the tickets yesterday.

Can/could in this meaning are generally equivalent to be able to. But can/could is more common: Can you speak any foreign languages? = Are you able to speak any foreign languages?

Besides can/could are preferably used with such verbs as see, hear, smell, taste, feel, understand, remem­ber. I can hear what they are talking about. We couldn 't understand his words.

However in some cases be able to is possible and even obligatory for can has no present perfect tense, future tense and infinitive: He hasn't been able to sleep well recently. I'll be able to play the Beethoven violin concherto if I practise for long enough. She might not be able to come tomorrow.

When talking about the past, both could and was ab­le to are possible: could expresses ability and power in ge­neral while was able to is used to denote ability in a par­ticular situation and thus equivalent to managed to. Com­pare: My brother was an excellent tennis player. He could beat anybody. (=He had the ability to beat anybody) — Once he had a difficult game against an American tennis player who played very well but in the end my brother was able to beat him. (=He managed to beat him.)

6.75.4. Modals expressine permission.__requests,

offers, invitations

Modals expressing permission, requests, offers and invitations are can/could, may/might, and will/would.

When asking for permission one can use can, could, may and might. Can/Could/May/Might I use your pen?

While giving permission can and may are used but never could. You can/may smoke if you like.

Except in formal writing can is now more common than may to express permission for the present and future: You can go now. (=You may go now.) You can borrow my car tomorrow. (=You may borrow my car tomorrow.)

In British English might is used instead of may for asking permission politely: Might I come? Yes, of course, you may.

To offer things can is usual: Can I help you?

Will is often used in polite, requests and is equivalent to «please»: Will you come in? Will you have a cup of tea? Shut the door, will you?

Would is also used for offering and inviting as part of would like. Would you like a cup of tea? Would you like to come and see us tomorrow?

6.15.5. Modals expressing willingness

Modals expressing willingness are will and would.

Will expresses willingness, intention, consent (and unwillingness in the negative): All right, I will come. We will pay the money soon. He will have his own way. We can't find anyone who will take the job. I won't do the work. He won't listen to me.

Will may be used in negative sentences with refe­rence to objects to show them as unable to fulfil their function: The pen won't write. The knife won't cut. The lift won't work.

Would is used to show willingness or in the negati­ve — unwilligness in the past: They couldn 't find anyone who would take the job. He said there had been a serious accident, but wouldn 't give any details.

It is used in the negative with reference to the object unable to fulfil its function in the past: My car wouldn't start yesterday. The lift wouldn't work for two days.

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