You use can or be able to to talk about ability in the present. The negative form of could is could not or couldn’t. The negative form of can alcoholics have food cooked with alcohol can is cannot or can’t. Learn a new word every day. The children cannot be left unsupervised at any time.
Middle English
You use could or a past form of be able to to talk about ability in the past. Could is also used to talk about ability in the present, but it has a special meaning. To form the negative of be able to, you either put not or another negative word in front of able, or you use the expression be unable to. We don’t normally use could to talk about what we believe to be true in the present. You can’t just take the day off work. All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only.
- If you want to say that someone had the ability to do something but did not in fact do it, you say that they could have done it.
- From Latin canis, canem (“dog”).
- Don’t use ‘could not’ to say that there is a possibility that something is not true.
Etymology 6
- Can you help me with this form?
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- Inherited from Latin canis, canem (“dog”).
- (We can’t understand these instructions.)
- He can hear the music from his room sometimes.
- Before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2
You can’t have arrived here earlier than me. In those days, you could buy everything in the local shop. Why can’t you just be nice to her instead of upsetting her? Can you help me with this form? (I don’t think it’s possible that you are on a diet because you still buy lots of chocolate.) (It is possible for us to go to Rome because we don’t have to work in June.)
He can hear the music from his room sometimes. I can’t drive Susan’s car while she is out of town next week. I can drive Susan’s car while she is out of town next week. I won’t have any time later. I wasn’t able to help her at that time.
Guessing and predicting: can’t as the negative of must
If you want to say that it is impossible that something is true, you use cannot or could not. Could and can are used to talk about possibility in the present or future. Can and could are used with verbs such as see, hear, and smell to say that someone is or was aware of something through one of their senses. There is no -ing form of can or could. You can use an -ing form of be able to.
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I see this only as a possibility. (We can’t understand these instructions.) We can’t follow these instructions for installing this new DVD player. Can’t you ask for another day off work? The subject and can change position to form questions. I can’t believe you said that!
English
Don’t use ‘could not have’ to say that there is a possibility that something was not true. You also use could have to say that there was a possibility of something being true in the past, although it was not in fact true. You use could have to say that there is a possibility that something was true in the past. Don’t use ‘could not’ to say that there is a possibility that something is not true. You use could to say that there is a possibility that something is or will be true. Be able to is sometimes used after modals such as might or should, and after verbs such as want, hope, or expect.
verb (used with or without object)
Before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2 Middle English (1st & 3rd singular present indicative), from Old English; akin to Old High German kan (1st & 3rd singular present indicative) know, am able, Old English cnāwan to know — more at know May is relatively rare in negative constructions (mayn’t is not common); cannot and can’t are usual in such contexts.
Don’t use can or could after any other verbs. If you want to say that someone did not do something because they did not have the ability to do it, you say that they could not have done it. If you want to say that someone had the ability to do something but did not in fact do it, you say that they could have done it. If you say that someone was able to do something, you usually mean that they had the ability to do it and they did it. If you say that someone could do something, you mean that they have the ability to do it, but they don’t in fact do it.
These words are used to talk about ability, awareness, and possibility. We use can’t have + -ed form as the negative form of must have + -ed. When we want to guess or predict something, we use can’t as the negative form of must. The negative form of can is can’t. You use a future form of be able to to talk about ability in the future.
Can, could, and be able to are all used to talk about a person’s ability to do something. Get the Word of the Day every day! If all goes well, the coach secured with a proven approach could lead to a return to happier days. To add can to a word list please sign up or log in. Worthy and wicked (Words meaning ‘good’ and ‘bad’) 1855, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Alternative forms
I’ll have some free time tomorrow. I was able to help her at that time. Most modal verbs behave quite irregularly in the past and the future. “Can” is one of the most commonly used modal verbs in English.
Question (?) form
Old Anatolian Turkish جان (cān), from Persian جان (jân). From Latin canis, canem. If you want to say that it is impossible that something was true, you use could not have. You use can to say that something is sometimes possible.
Can (feminine singular can, plural can, equative canned, comparative cannach, superlative cannaf) Inherited from Latin canis, canem (“dog”). From Persian جان (jân, “soul, life, life force”). ], from Latin canis, canem. In formal settings, can usually cannot be used to mean “dear” and hêja is used instead. From Latin canis, canem (“dog”).
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form. Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese can, from Latin canis, canem. Inherited from Old Anatolian Turkish جان (cān), from Persian جان (jân).