Can and Could: Modals of Ability
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Introduction
Modalni glagol [modal verb] je vrsta pomoćnog glagola koji sam nema značenje, ali može oblikovati glavni glagol tako da mu mijenja značenje i daje više informacija o njegovoj radnji.
Could je oblik glagola can u perfektu. Ova vrsta pomoćnih modalnih glagola koristi se za izricanje sposobnosti ili dopuštenja {vidi Modals of Ability – Can, A1 Level}.
Form
Can/could ostaju isti čak i u trećem licu jednine. Koriste se kao modalni glagol u tri oblika.
Affirmative
Struktura u potvrdnom obliku:
Subject + could + verb + …
Subject | could | Verb |
---|---|---|
I/You | could | work |
He/She/It | could | work |
We/You/They | could | work |
Negative
Struktura u negativnom obliku:
Subject + could + not + verb + …
- Skraćeni negativni oblik: can’t/couldn’t.
Subject | could + not | Verb |
---|---|---|
I/You | could not | work |
He/She/It | could not | work |
We/You/They | could not | work |
Interrogative
Struktura u upitnom obliku:
Could + subject + verb + …?
Could | Subject | Verb | Question Mark |
---|---|---|---|
Could | I/you | work | …? |
Could | he/she/it | work | …? |
Could | we/you/they | work | …? |
Example
- Sposobnost
- I can cook very well.
- I could cook very well when I wanted to (not always).
- Pristojna ponuda
- Can I make you dinner?
- Could I make you dinner?
- Pristojni zahtjev
- Can you pass me the milk from the fridge?
- Could you pass me the milk from the fridge, please?
- Mogućnost
- She can rent this flat. She has a good job.
- She could rent this flat if she finds a job.
- Neslaganje
How can you call the owner without telling me?- How could you call the owner without telling me?
- S riječima koje opisuju osjete (smell, taste, see, hear, touch…) i mentalne procese (think, believe, remember, understand…)
- The house was in a bad state.
I can smell the moisture. - The house was in a bad state. I could smell the moisture.
- The house was in a bad state.
Use
Could je glagol u prošlom vremenu, manje je direktan i pristojniji oblik glagola can. Koriste se gotovo jednako. No, could se koristi za izricanje neslaganja te s riječima koje opisuju osjete i mentalne procese. Could se koristi za izricanje:
- Sposobnosti;
- Pristojne ponude;
- Pristojnog zahtjeva;
- Mogućnosti;
- Neslaganja;
- Osjeta (smell, taste, see, hear, touch…) i mentalnih procesa (think, believe, remember, understand…).
Summary
Modalni glagoli can i could izriču mogućnost, zahtjeve i sposobnosti. Could se koristi i za izricanje neslaganja, osjeta i mentalnih procesa te je oblik glagola can u prošlom vremenu.
Strukture:
- Potvrdni oblik: Subject + could + verb + …
- Negativni oblik: Subject + could + not + verb + …
- Upitni oblik: Could + subject + verb + …?
Naprimjer:
— Potvrdni oblik: “Moving could be stressful.“ / “Moving can be stressful.“ = Could se koristi kako bi se prikazalo da selidba ponekad može biti stresna, a can da je selidba uvijek stresna.
— Negativni oblik: “We couldn´t share a flat!“ / “We can´t share a flat!“ = Could se koristi za odbijanje, a can za izricanje nemogućnosti.
— Upitni oblik: “Could I use the microwave?“ / “Can I use the microwave?“ = Could se koristi za pristojnije postavljanje pitanja.
NAPOMENA: Ne koristimo could za odbijanje ili davanje dopuštenja.
— “Could I leave early today?” – “Yes, you can”; “No, you can’t.“ / “Yes, you could“; “No, you couldn’t.“
Pregledajte sadržaj u odjeljku [Form] te bacite pogled na odjeljak [Example] koji pokazuje njegovu upotrebu unutar konteksta.
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