Lesson 2 / Handout 2e

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 …………. PERMISSION, may is more ……………………… than can. They are replaced by might
or could when the speaker is being ……………….. polite.

Might can also be used ………………………. .

b)         In asking …………. PERMISSION, ………….., not ………………., is used:

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

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

A: ‘May I go there?’       B: ‘No, you ……… ……..!’

Could not expresses …………….. prohibition.

d)        Can expressing ABILITY is replaced by ……………... when:

- there is NO reference to an actual, specific …………………… or ………………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 ………………… 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 ………………………… (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 ………………..  ……………….. tense.

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

May not & might not express possibility ………………………. .

Could not expresses ………………………… .

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

i)          Cannot expresses general ………………………… 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?