ASKING FOR AND GIVING/REFUSING PERMISSION
16.4A
Present/ future
16.4B
Past
We use can/can't for permission granted or refused by the person being asked and for permission subject to some external authority such as the law:
Can I use your phone?' 'Yes, of course you can. I No, I'm afraid you can't.'
(I give/refuse permission.)
You can't smoke on the underground. (The law doesn't allow you to do this.) In more formal situations we can use may and may not in the same way: May I interrupt?
Candidates may not bring calculators into the examination room. We use could or might to ask for permission in a more tentative way [might is very formal):
Excuse me, could I leave my coat here? Might I ask the court for an adjournment at this point?
To describe general permission in the past we use could/couldn't: In the 1950s British children could leave school at the age of fourteen.
But to talk about permission on a specific occasion in the past, we do not use could
we use was/were allowed to:
X I could leave early yesterday   ✓ / was allowed to leave early yesterday.
Match the situations (A-D) with the sentences (1-4).
A Samantha is going to work at a ticket agency next year. B Judy went to the theatre yesterday and told the box office clerk that she was a theatre critic.
C Liz went to the theatre yesterday to buy some tickets. They didn't tell her about the
special 'free ticket' offer. D Carol works at a ticket agency.
1 She was able to get free tickets.       2 She can get free tickets.
3 She will be able to get free tickets.    4 She could have got free tickets.
A □     B □     C □     D □
16.3, IB A
Choose the correct description, A or B.
1 They allowed me to bring my dog.
A They usually allow dogs.      B They don't usually allow dogs.
2 The doctor could see you at eleven.
A I'm not sure if she's free at eleven.      B I'm suggesting a time for an appointment.
3 Might I borrow your calculator for a moment?
A Talking to your best friend.      B Talking to a clerk at the bank.
4 Well, we could always go on the bus.
A I don't really mind how we get there.      B I realty want to go on the bus.
5 I could wear anything I liked.
A When I worked as a secretary.      B On the day I took my secretarial exams.
6 We can have a look at the shops.
A I'm making a suggestion.      B I'm describing a future ability. - 7 May 1 interrupt?
A At a formal business meeting.      B At a family lunch.
8 You may not bring drinks into the auditorium during the performance. ' A It's up to you to decide.      B It's forbidden.
9 I might see you after the show.
A I probably will see you.      B I'm not sure if I'll see you or not. 10 We might as well go straight home.
A There's nothing better to do.      B I really want to go home.
Match the two parts (1-4 and A-D) to form sentences.
1 He could do it A -r he had plenty of opportunity.
he wasn't even in the country.
2 He couldn't do it
3 He might have done it
4 He can't have done it
B-
C - he seems a very capable person. D - he doesn't look old enough.
-2 A3   B 1   C4  D 2
ilC  2D  3 A
1 B
6 A
2 B 7 A
3 B 8 B
4 B
4 A 9 B
5 A 10 A