Ability · Yetenek

Kişinin şu anki, geçmişteki veya gelecekteki yeteneklerini anlatırken kullanılır.

• A baby can smile even after a short time after his / her birth.

Ability: + − ? · Olumlu · olumsuz · soru

• + Olumlu · can + V1 A baby can smile even after a short time after his / her birth.
• − Olumsuz · can't + V1 A baby can't walk for several months after his / her birth.
• ? Soru · Can + özne + V1? Can babies see clearly when they are born?

can · be able to · Şimdiki yetenek

Günümüzdeki yetenekleri ve becerileri ifade etmek için can ve be able to kullanılır.

• Some of the plants [can / are able to] communicate with one another like humans.

be able to: all tenses · Tüm zamanlar

Be able to tüm zaman yapıları ile çekimlenebilir.

• In the near future, the olive ridley sea turtle [will be able to] swim properly again.

could · was able to · Geçmiş yetenek

Geçmişteki yetenekleri ifade etmek için could ve was / were able to kullanılır.

• Mozart [could / was able to] play the violin when he was a teenager.

One event: was able to · Tek olay

Geçmişte tek bir olayda başarı: could yerine was / were able to tercih edilir.

• They [were able to] find the missing document just before the deadline.

Negative: no difference · Olumsuzda fark yok

Geçmişteki tek bir olayı anlatan olumsuz cümlelerde could ve was / were able to arasında fark yoktur.

• He [couldn't / was not able to] catch the last train home.

could: permission · senses · İzin · duyu

Could / was able to geçmişte izin verirken; could duyu fiilleri (see, hear, smell) ile kullanılır.

• We [could] hear the chants of the crowd clearly.

Possibility · Olasılık

Olasılık anlatan yapılar: may, might, can, could ve be likely to.

• By looking at dark clouds in the sky, it may rain very soon.

Possibility: + − ? · Olumlu · olumsuz · soru

• + Olumlu · may + V1 By looking at dark clouds in the sky, it is possible to say that it may rain very soon.
• − Olumsuz · may not + V1 By looking at the clear sky, it is possible to say that it may not rain today.
• ? Soru · Is it likely to + V1? Is it likely to guess whether it will rain by looking at the sky?

Now & future chance · Şimdi ve gelecek

Şu anki ve gelecekteki ihtimaller: may, might, can, could, be likely to.

• If everything goes as planned, we [could] meet tomorrow at the picnic area.

Questions: likely · Sorularda likely

Sorularda olasılık için may ve might yerine be likely to tercih edilir.

• [Is] it [likely to] make an appointment with the doctor in advance?