Can you grammar rules

Not: The children can not be left unsupervised …. We use could , not can , to talk about ability in the past. They could see a light on in the house as they drove past at 10 pm. Outsets and onsets! See also: Modality: forms. Not: Does this can really be true? See also: May.

General truths. Exercise can help reduce stress. I believe this is a general truth or fact. Exercise could help reduce stress. I see this only as a possibility. See also: Could. See also: Must Could. See also: Could Requests. See also: Offers. Popular searches 01 Adverbs and adverb phrases: position 02 Other , others , the other or another? Test your vocabulary with our fun image quizzes.

Image credits. Word of the Day have a heart of gold. Blog Outsets and onsets! Read More. November 08, To top. Adjectives and adverbs Easily confused words Nouns, pronouns and determiners Prepositions and particles Using English Verbs Words, sentences and clauses Adjectives and adverbs Easily confused words Nouns, pronouns and determiners Prepositions and particles Using English Verbs Words, sentences and clauses Adjectives and adverbs Easily confused words Nouns, pronouns and determiners Prepositions and particles Using English Verbs Words, sentences and clauses Adjectives and adverbs Easily confused words Nouns, pronouns and determiners Prepositions and particles Using English Verbs Words, sentences and clauses.

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Adjectives Adjectives: forms Adjectives: order Adjective phrases: functions Adjective phrases: position Adjectives and adjective phrases: typical errors. Comparison: adjectives bigger , biggest , more interesting Comparison: clauses bigger than we had imagined Comparison: comparisons of equality as tall as his father As … as. Adverbs Adverb phrases Adverbs and adverb phrases: position Adverbs and adverb phrases: typical errors Adverbs: forms Adverbs: functions Adverbs: types Comparison: adverbs worse, more easily Fairly Intensifiers very, at all Largely Much , a lot , lots , a good deal : adverbs Pretty Quite Rather Really Scarcely Very.

Above or over? Across , over or through? Advice or advise? Affect or effect? All or every? All or whole? Allow , permit or let?

Almost or nearly? Alone , lonely , or lonesome? Along or alongside? Already , still or yet? Also , as well or too? Alternate ly , alternative ly Although or though? Altogether or all together? Amount of , number of or quantity of? Any more or anymore? Anyone , anybody or anything? Apart from or except for? Arise or rise? Around or round? Arouse or rouse? As or like? As , because or since? As , when or while?

Been or gone? Begin or start? Beside or besides? Between or among? Born or borne? Bring , take and fetch Can , could or may? Classic or classical? Come or go? Consider or regard? John or Mary is coming tonight. Either coffee or tea is fine. Neither John nor Mary was late.

I have a big dog. She married a handsome Italian man. Her husband is rich. I saw a nice French table. That was an interesting Shakespearian play. The committee are having sandwiches for lunch. Then they will go to London. The dog has hurt its leg. He says it's two o'clock.

Here is your coffee. You're looking good. There was nobody at the party. I saw their new car. Do you think they're happy? He is working He has finished. She is here. She has left. John is married. John has divorced his wife. He had eaten when I arrived.

He would eat more if possible. They had already finished. They would come if they could. We include be able to here for convenience. In this lesson we look at can , could and be able to , followed by a quiz to check your understanding.

Can is an auxiliary verb, a modal auxiliary verb. We use can to:. We use can to talk about what is possible, what we are able or free to do:. Normally, we use can for the present. But it is possible to use can when we make present decisions about future ability. We often use can in a question to ask somebody to do something. This is not a real question - we do not really want to know if the person is able to do something, we want them to do it!

The use of can in this way is informal mainly between friends and family :. Note that we also use could, may, might for permission. The use of can for permission is informal. Could is an auxiliary verb, a modal auxiliary verb.