Introduction
Modalni glagol [modal verb] je tip pomožnega glagola, ki nima pomena sam po sebi, ampak modificira glavni glagol, spreminja njegov pomen in daje več podrobnosti o dejanju.
Could je pretekla oblika modalnega glagola can. To obliko pomožnih modalnih glagolov uporabljamo za izražanje idej zmožnosti ali dovoljenja {glej Modalni glagoli zmožnosti – Can, stopnja A1}.
Form
Can/could imata vedno enako obliko, tudi v tretji osebi ednine. Uporabljamo ju kot modalna glagola in imata tri možne oblike.
Affirmative
Struktura v trdilni obliki je:
Subject + could + verb + …
| Subject | could | Verb |
|---|---|---|
| I/You | could | work |
| He/She/It | could | work |
| We/You/They | could | work |
Negative
Struktura v nikalni obliki je:
Subject + could + not + verb + …
- Kratka verzija nikalne oblike je: 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 v vprašalni obliki je:
Can/could + subject + verb + …?
| Could | Subject | Verb | Question Mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Could | I/you | work | …? |
| Could | he/she/it | work | …? |
| Could | we/you/they | work | …? |
Example
- Zmožnost
- I can cook very well.
- I could cook very well when I wanted to (not always).
- Vljudna ponudba
- Can I make you dinner?
- Could I make you dinner?
- Vljudna zahteva
- Can you pass me the milk from the fridge?
- Could you pass me the milk from the fridge, please?
- Možnost
- She can rent this flat. She has a good job.
- She could rent this flat if she finds a job.
- Neodobravanje
How can you call the owner without telling me?- How could you call the owner without telling me?
- Z glagoli čutil (smell, taste, see, hear, touch…) in mentalnih procesov (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 pretekla, manj neposredna in bolj vljudna oblika can; načini uporabe so skoraj enaki, le da se could lahko nanaša tudi na preteklost. Poleg tega jo uporabljamo za izražanje neodobravanja in z glagoli čutil in mentalnih procesov, ter v sedanjiku, ko želimo biti vljudni. Could uporabljamo za izražanje:
- Zmožnosti;
- Vljudnih ponudb;
- Vljudnih zahtev;
- Možnosti;
- Neodobravanja;
- Z glagoli čutil (smell, taste, see, hear, touch…) in mentalnih procesov (think, believe, remember, understand…).
Summary
Modalna glagola [modal verbs] can in could izražata zmožnosti, ponudbe, zahteve in možnosti. Could uporabljamo tudi za izražanje neodobravanja, čutil in mentalnih procesov, poleg tega predstavlja preteklo obliko can.
Strukture so:
- Trdilna: Subject + could + verb + …
- Nikalna: Subject + could + not + verb + …
- Vprašalna: Could + subject + verb + …?
Na primer:
— Trdilna: “Moving could be stressful.“ / “Moving can be stressful.“ = S could izrazimo, da je premikanje nekaj stresnega s can, da je to stresno večino časa.
— Nikalna: “We couldn´t share a flat!“ / “We can´t share a flat!“ = Could uporabljamo za izražanje zavrnitve in can za izražanje neizvedljivosti.
— Vprašalna: “Could I use the microwave?“ / “Can I use the microwave?“ = Could uporabljamo za spraševanje na bolj vljuden način.
NOTE: Could be uporabljamo za dajanje ali odvzem dovoljenja.
— “Could I leave early today?” – “Yes, you can”; “No, you can’t.“ / “Yes, you could“; “No, you couldn’t.“
Ponovi to vsebino v delu {Form} in si poglej del {Example}, ki prikazuje rabo v kontekstu.