CAN/ COULD
The primary meaning is ability. We use ‘ can’ when we talk about general ability and ‘ could ’ for general ability in the past. Can you play chess? Their son could swim before he could walk. The equivalent – to be able to – is used for: 1.analytical forms :I haven’t been able to sleep lately. You’ ll be able to relax. 2.non-finite [non`fainait] forms of the verb: - infinitive: He must be able to cook well. - gerund: Being able to drive is important for this job. 3. a specific achievement in the past (Someone managed to do smth): I’m proud I was able to enter the University.= Я змогла вступити... For one successful action we use could - with the verbs of the senses:see, hear, feel, smell, taste: I could see the storm coming. = Я змогла побачити наближення шторму. - with the verbs of mental perception: understand, remember, guess: I could understand his words. = Я змогла зрозуміти його слова. - in negative sentences: We couldn't fix it. = Ми не змогли його полагодити. - in questions: Could you fix the computer yourself? - in sentences with limiting adverbs such as ‘only’ or ‘hardly’: She was so exhausted she could hardly speak.
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