Can you cook?

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When I was a child, I could run really fast. I remember racing my friends in the schoolyard, and I always could beat them. It was so much fun! On the other hand, I couldn't swim. Every summer, my family went to the beach, but I couldn't enjoy the water because I couldn't swim.

As a teenager, I could play the guitar a little bit. I learned a few chords, and I could play some songs. It was cool! But, I couldn't speak another language. I tried to learn French, but it was difficult, and I couldn't speak it very well.

Now, as an adult, I can drive a car. It's a useful skill, and I can go anywhere I want. I can also cook very well. I went to a Culinary Arts School, and I work in a restaurant, so I can make very sophisticated dishes. However, I can't play the guitar anymore. I forgot how to do it. Also, I can't climb trees like I did when I was a child. It's not as easy as it used to be!

Modal Verbs are a special kind of verbs that have a specific meaning. They are different from any other verbs in English.

CAN - COULD - MAY - MIGHT - MUST - SHOULD – etc, are modal verbs.

1. Modal verbs are followed by a normal verb (infinitive without TO), which makes the sentence meaningful.

You should (??) You should go. Ann can (??) Ann can drive.

2. Modal Verbs are similar to Auxiliary verbs (Be-Have-Do) in negatives (+not) and interrogative (inversion).

She couldn't read Tom can't swim You mustn't turn left Should I go? Can they speak Spanish? Could you speak when you were 3?

3. Modal Verbs never change. They are always the same.

I can swim He can swim Mary can swim My father can swim

CAN / COULD

Can and Could are Modal Verbs. As any other Modal Verb, Can and Could have a specific meaning that changes the modality of the sentence. Can and Could express Ability/Capablility - Possibility - Permission - etc. In this unit we will focus on Ability/Capability.

1. Ability/Capability: CAN expresses our skills when doing something at present. COULD is for abilities in the past. (SÉ o SABÍA HACER ALGO)

Tom can drive very well.
I can cook pasta.
Can you stand on your head?
I can't speak French.

Could you read when you were 5?
I couldn't read or write when I was 5.
I could play the piano at the age of 6.

2. Possibility: CAN (not COULD) also expresses a "General possibility". That means that we know that something is likely to happen when talking in general, not in a specific situation.

It can rain a lot in Asturias.
Those dogs can be very dangerous.
It can be very cold here in winter.

¿necesitas ayuda?

Los Verbos Modales son un tipo especial de verbos que tienen un significado muy particular. Por esto, son diferentes a otros verbos en inglés (verbos auxiliares como BE o verbos normales).

CAN - COULD - MAY - MIGHT - MUST - SHOULD – etc, son verbos modales.

1. Los Verbos Modales van seguidos siempre de un verbo "normal" en infinitivo (sin TO) que es el que le da sentido. Un verbo modal sin otro verbo no tiene sentido.

You should (??) You should go. ("Deberías ir") Ann can (??) Ann can drive. ("Ann sabe conducir")

2. Los Modales se comportan como un auxiliar (be-have-do) cuando formamos una negativa (+not) o una interrogativa (invirtiendo el sujeto).

She couldn't read Tom can't swim You mustn't turn left Should I go? Can they speak Spanish? Could you speak when you were 3?

3. Los Verbos Modales son invariables, tienen una única forma.

I can swim He can swim Mary can swim My father can swim

CAN / COULD

Can y Could son verbos modales y, como todos los modales tienen un significado especícico que cambia o matiza el significado de lo que queremos decir.

En concreto, Can y Could expresan la HABILIDAD que tenemos de hacer algo, lo que somos capaces de hacer, y también podemos utilizarlos para expresar POSIBILIDAD, PEDIR PERMISO, ETC. En esta unidad nos vamos a centrar en la función de HABILIDAD.

1. Ability/Capability: (SÉ o SABÍA HACER ALGO)

CAN expresa lo que sabemos o somos capaces de hacer en presente.
COULD lo usamos para decir lo que sabíamos hacer en el pasado.

Tom can drive very well. (Tom sabe conducir muy bien)
I can cook pasta. (Yo sé cocinar pasta)
Can you stand on your head? (¿Sabes hacer el pino?)
I can't speak French. (No sé hablar francés)

Could you read when you were 5? (¿Tú sabías leer con 5 años?)
I couldn't read or write when I was 5. (Yo no sabía leer con 5 años)
I could play the piano at the age of 6. (Yo sabía tocar el piano con 6 años)

2. Possibility: (PUEDE OCURRIR ALGO)

CAN (no COULD) TAMBIÉN EXPRESA UNA "POSIBILIDAD GENERAL), algo que por lo general puede ocurrir con respecto a lo que estamos hablando.

It can rain a lot in Asturias. (En Asturias, puede llover mucho) - Es posible en general, no en una situación concreta.
Those dogs can be very dangerous. (Estos perros pueden ser muy peligrosos) - Esto puede pasar con esta raza.
It can be very cold here in winter. (En invierno aquí puede hacer mucho frío) - Es una posibilidad.