Can/able

• Engels
• Speciaal Onderwijs
• Leerroute 4

Samenvattend 

• Can / to be able to = kunnen

• Als je wilt zeggen dat iemand iets kan, dan kun je can/could + hele werkwoord of to be able to + hele werkwoord gebruiken. 

• Can/could = gebruik je bij vaardigheden
• Be able to = gebruik je als je wilt zeggen dat iemand in staat is om iets te doen. 

Grammar: can, could, to be able to

Kunnen 

Can	Could	to be able to
- Present: General statement/skills - ask for permission/ requests BUT less polite - offer	- Past: General statement/skills - Polite requests / asking for permission - possibilities (not certain)	- Show something is possible in other tenses: E.g. present perfect / future - only used for general statements/skills
Can I help you? (offer) I can speak Japanese. (general) Can you bring some food? (request)	I could juggle 8 balls when I was young. (past) He could have a flat tire. (possibility) Could you bring some food?	I will be able to speak Spanish after this course. (future) I haven't been able to meet him yet. (present perfect)

Can: vaardigheid

can + hele werkwoord

• I can cook.
• He can cook.
• We can cook.

Be able to: in staat zijn

be able to + hele werkwoord

not be able to + hele werkwoord

• I am able to come
• He is able to come
• We are able to come

Ontkenning:

He cannot (can't) cook

Vraag: 

Can you cook?

Verleden tijd:

He could cook.

Ontkenning: 

I am not (I'm not) able to come; 

Vraag: 

Is he able to come?

Verleden tijd:

Was he able to come? Were they able?

Ability

We use can/could to describe ability, and we use can’t/couldn’t to describe absence of ability.

She could play the piano very well.

Children can’t concentrate for long periods of time.

I can speak Chinese.

 

Possibility

 

We also use can to talk about possibility.

Anyone can win this competition. All the participants are very good. 

I can’t come to the party next week.

Possibility

We also use can to talk about possibility.

Anyone can win this competition. All the participants are very good. 

I can’t come to the party next week.

Permission

 We use can/could to talk about something that is or was allowed and we use can’t/couldn’t to talk about something that is not allowed.

You can’t smoke in the house, but you can smoke in the terrace if you want.

We also use can to ask for permission.

Can I come in?

Requests

 We us can/could in requests, i.e. when we ask somebody to do something.

Can you help me?

Could you speak more slowly, please?

see, smell, hear, feel, taste

 Verbs of perception (see, smell, hear, etc.) are stative verbs and cannot be used in a continuous form. Instead, we use can.

Can you hear that? (NOT Are you hearing that?)

I can smell gas! (NOT I’m smelling gas!)

Be able to

Be able to is often similar to can and we may use it instead of can to talk about ability. But be able to is more formal and is not as common.

They are able to do the job faster than anyone else.

But can only has present and past forms: can–could. For all other verb forms (infinitive, gerund, present perfect, etc.) we should use be able to.

Adverbs & Adjectives

Bijwoord	bijvoegelijk naamwoord
says something about a verb, adverb or adjective	says something about a noun
this engine works terrifically	He is a nice person

Adverbs & adjectives

difference adjective/ adverb

I can/ am able to follow the online lessons

1. can
2. am able to

Brian can / is able to sing very well.

1. can
2. is able to
3. -----
4. -----

Can/Are you able to play piano?

1. Can
2. Are you able to

I can / am able to translate this text.

1. can
2. am able to

Are you able to / Can you speak Chinese?

1. Are you able to
2. Can you
3. -----
4. -----

She can/ is able to swim really fast

1. Can
2. is able to