Lesson 2 / handout 2e - KEY

Complete the sentences with one of the words below:

impossibility (2x)   for   about   general   negatively   present perfect   polite   present   can (2x)   may   might   could (2x)   may not (2x)   extra   quick   reported   achievement   ironically   past   success   be able to  

a)         In asking  for PERMISSION, may is more polite than can. They are replaced by might or could when the speaker is being extra polite.

Might can also be used ironically .

b)         In asking about PERMISSION, can, not  may, is used:

Can you (= Are you allowed to) drive your parents’ car?

c)         For PROHIBITION, the use of may not instead of cannot is chiefly limited to quick responses to may:

A: ‘May I go there?’       B: ‘No, you may not!’

Could not expresses past prohibition.

d)        Can expressing ABILITY is replaced by could when:

- there is NO reference to an actual, specific achievement or success in the past; could only expresses past ability (natural and learned), not related to any specific event

- in a context of non-fact: I could come if I wanted. I wish I could come.

- in reported speech: He said he could see me next week.

e)         For past ABILITY which suggests the successful completion of a specific action (actual achievement or success), could is replaced by the past or present perfect tense of         be able to  (or also manage to, succeed in + -ing).

f)         Past INABILITY, whether or not reference is made to a specific action, can be expressed by couldn’t as well as by the past tense of not be able to / be unable to. Nevertheless, like could, couldn’t cannot replace the present perfect tense.

g)         May is replaced by might or could to express less POSSIBILITY. All three cover present possibility with reference to the future, present or past.

May not & might not express possibility negatively.

Could not expresses impossibility.

h)         Can covers general POSSIBILITY without reference to past, present or future.  Could covers past possibility and possibility in a context of non-fact.

i)          Cannot expresses general impossibility and could not expresses past impossibility and impossibility in a context of non-fact.

j)          Could is often used in polite REQUESTS  x  couldn’t can be used in not-so-polite REQUESTS:

Could you lend me this book?   X   Couldn’t you lend me this book?