Couldas an alternative to may/might

A could be can be used instead of may/might be:

/ wonder where Tom is. ~ He may/might/could be in the library.

(Perhaps he is in the library.) Similarly when be is part of the continuous infinitive:

/ wonder why Bill isn 't here? ~ He may/might/could still be waiting

for a bus. (Perhaps he is still waiting for a bus.) And when be is part of a passive infinitive:

Do you think the plane will be on time? ~ I don't know. It may/ might/could be delayed by fog. (Perhaps it will be delayed by fog.) In the interrogative we can use either could or might:

Might/Could he be waiting for us at the station? (Do you think he is waiting...?)

In the negative, though, there is a difference of meaning between could and may/might:

He may/might not be driving the car himself. (Perhaps he isn't driving the car himself.)

But He couldn't be driving the car himself expresses a negative deduction. It means This is impossible. He can't drive'.

B could + the perfect infinitive of any verb can be used instead of may/might + perfect infinitive (possibility):

I wonder how Tom knew about Ann's engagement. ~

He may/might/could have heard it from Jack. (Perhaps he heard

it from Jack.) As in A above, in the interrogative we can use might or could:

Could/Might the bank have made a mistake? (Do you think it is

possible that the bank (has) made a mistake?) But in the negative the meanings differ:

Ann might not have seen Tom yesterday (perhaps she didn't see him) but

Ann couldn't have seen Tom yesterday, (negative deduction: perhaps Ann and Tom were in different towns)

135 can used to express possibility A General possibility

Subject + can can mean 'it is possible', i.e. circumstances permit (this is quite different from the kind of possibility expressed by may): You can ski on the hills. (There is enough snow.) We can't bathe here on account of the sharks. (It isn't safe.) Can you get to the top of the mountain in one day? (Is it possible?)

B can can also express occasional possibility:

Measles can be quite dangerous. (Sometimes it is possible for them to be quite dangerous/Sometimes they are quite dangerous.) The Straits of Dover can be very rough. (It is possible for the Straits to be rough; this sometimes happens.)

could is used in the past:

He could be very unreasonable. (Sometimes he was unreasonable; this was a possibility.) can is used in this way in the present or past tense only, and chiefly in

the affirmative.

13 can and be able for ability

136 can and be able: forms

can is used here in conjunction with be + the adjective able, which supplies the missing parts of can and provides an alternative form for the present and past tense. We have therefore the following forms: Infinitive: to be able Past participle: been able

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

Future will/shall be able

will/shall not be able

shall/will I be able? will he be able? etc.

Present can or am able cannot or am not

able

can I? or am I able?

etc.

Past could or was able

could not or was not able

could I? or was I able? etc.

There is only one future form, for can is not used in the future except to express permission. In the conditional, however, we have two forms: could and would be able.

All other tenses are formed with be able according to the rules for ordinary verbs:

Present perfect: have been able

Past perfect: had been able

Negative interrogative: could you not/couldn't you? were you not/weren't you able? will you not/won't you be able? etc.

can/be/will/shall not and have can be contracted in the usual way:

/ wasn't able, he won't be able, I've been able.

can is followed by the bare infinitive. be able is followed by the full infinitive.

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