In the past three Exploring English posts we have looked at modal verbs. Today we explore the final main category:
Modal verbs of ability.
Here, ability covers both the sense of being able or knowing how to do something, and the sense of having permission or having the freedom to act. We use can and could in a variety of contexts to show ability and freedom.
Can he swim? Yes he can. (ability)
Can we swim here? No, we can’t. (permission – swimming is not allowed)
I learned to drive and passed my test so now I can drive a car. (ability and permission)
They could finish by 5pm if they worked fast. (ability)
The teacher said we could leave early. (permission)
I hope that these modal verbs posts have helped you to understand this area of grammar a bit better. Do you have any requests? Areas of grammar or aspects of vocabulary you would like me to cover? Let me know in the comments or on social media!
