Can, Could and (be) able to
Modal Verbs of Ability — Complete Guide
Can, Could et (be) able to
Verbes Modaux de Capacité — Guide Complet
Master can for present ability, could for past ability and perception verbs, (be) able to for all other contexts, and the key distinction between could and was/were able to
Maîtrisez can pour la capacité au présent, could pour le passé et les verbes de perception, (be) able to pour tous les autres contextes, et la différence clé entre could et was/were able to
Can expresses present ability, possibility or permission. Could is the past form, especially used with perception verbs. When can is grammatically unavailable (after other modals or in perfect tenses), use (be) able to. For specific past achievements on one occasion, prefer was/were able to or managed to over could.
Can exprime la capacité, la possibilité ou la permission au présent. Could est la forme passée, surtout utilisée avec les verbes de perception. Quand can n'est pas disponible grammaticalement (après un autre modal ou dans les temps du parfait), utilisez (be) able to. Pour des réussites passées spécifiques lors d'une occasion précise, préférez was/were able to ou managed to à could.
Can — Ability, Possibility and Permission
Can — Capacité, Possibilité et Permission
We use can + base verb for three main purposes: present ability (you have a skill), general possibility (something can happen), or permission (someone is allowed). The negative is can't (= cannot).
On utilise can + infinitif pour trois usages principaux : la capacité présente (vous avez une compétence), la possibilité générale (quelque chose peut arriver), ou la permission (quelqu'un a le droit). La négative est can't (= cannot).
Can you speak any foreign languages? → ability
The word "run" can be a noun or a verb. → possibility
You can leave your coat here. → permission
I'm afraid I can't come to the party on Friday. → inability
Can — ability & possibility
Can — capacité & possibilité
Can — permission & requests
Can — permission & requêtes
Can vs (be) able to — When to Use Each
Can vs (be) able to — Quand Utiliser Chacun
Can is more natural in everyday use, but it only has two tense forms: can (present) and could (past). Whenever you need can after another modal, in an infinitive, or in a perfect tense, you must use (be) able to instead.
Can est plus naturel au quotidien, mais il n'a que deux formes temporelles : can (présent) et could (passé). Dès que vous avez besoin de can après un autre modal, à l'infinitif ou dans un temps du parfait, vous devez utiliser (be) able to.
after a modal: She might be able to come. / You must be able to speak two languages.
after 'will': I will be able to help you tomorrow.
in perfect tenses: I haven't been able to sleep recently.
after 'used to' / 'want to': I used to be able to stand on my head.
Can — everyday present use
Can — usage présent courant
(be) able to — when can is impossible
(be) able to — quand can est impossible
Could — Past of Can + Perception Verbs
Could — Passé de Can + Verbes de Perception
Could is the past form of can and is used for general past ability (a skill someone had over a period of time). It is especially natural with perception and mental verbs: see, hear, smell, taste, feel, remember, understand.
Could est la forme passée de can et s'utilise pour la capacité générale passée (une compétence que quelqu'un avait sur une période). Il est surtout naturel avec les verbes de perception et mentaux : see, hear, smell, taste, feel, remember, understand.
We could see the lake from our room.
I could smell gas as soon as I walked in.
I could hear them talking through the wall.
My grandfather could speak five languages. (general past ability)
Could vs Was/Were Able to — The Key Distinction
Could vs Was/Were Able to — La Distinction Clé
Use could for general past ability — a skill or capacity someone had over time. For a specific successful achievement on one particular occasion, use was/were able to or managed to — not could in positive statements.
Utilisez could pour une capacité générale passée — une compétence que quelqu'un avait dans le temps. Pour une réussite spécifique lors d'une occasion précise, utilisez was/were able to ou managed to — et non could en positif.
Could = general ability ✓
Could = capacité générale ✓
Was able to / managed to = specific success ✓
Was able to / managed to = réussite spécifique ✓
Exercise 1 — Complete using can or (be) able to
Exercice 1 — Complétez avec can ou (be) able to
If can is grammatically possible and natural, use it. Otherwise use (be) able to.
Si can est grammaticalement possible et naturel, utilisez-le. Sinon utilisez (be) able to.
Exercise 2 — Complete with can / can't / could / couldn't + a verb from the box
Exercice 2 — Complétez avec can / can't / could / couldn't + un verbe de l'encadré
Choose the correct modal and the right verb from the word box.
Choisissez le bon modal et le bon verbe de l'encadré.
Exercise 3 — Complete using was/were able to
Exercice 3 — Complétez avec was/were able to
These are specific past achievements — use was/were able to (not could).
Il s'agit de réussites passées spécifiques — utilisez was/were able to (pas could).
Exercise 4 — could, couldn't or managed to?
Exercice 4 — could, couldn't ou managed to ?
Choose the correct form for each context.
Choisissez la bonne forme selon le contexte.
Frequently Asked Questions — Can, Could and (be) able to
Questions fréquentes — Can, Could et (be) able to
Can is used for present ability and is more common in everyday speech: I can swim. She can drive. Use (be) able to when can is grammatically impossible — after another modal (might be able to, must be able to, will be able to), or in perfect tenses (haven't been able to, has been able to), or after an infinitive or gerund (used to be able to, want to be able to).
Can s'utilise pour la capacité au présent. Utilisez (be) able to quand can est grammaticalement impossible — après un autre modal, dans les temps du parfait, ou à l'infinitif.
Use could for general past ability (a skill over time): She could play the piano beautifully. Use was/were able to or managed to for a specific successful achievement on one occasion: The fire spread quickly, but everyone was able to escape. (NOT could escape in a positive statement.) The negative couldn't works in both contexts.
Utilisez could pour une capacité générale passée. Utilisez was/were able to ou managed to pour une réussite spécifique lors d'une occasion précise. Le négatif couldn't fonctionne dans les deux cas.
Perception verbs (see, hear, smell, taste, feel, remember, understand) describe ongoing states rather than single actions. In the past, this ongoing state is naturally expressed with could: I could see the lake. I could hear them talking. Was able to see/hear is possible but far less common.
Les verbes de perception décrivent des états continus plutôt que des actions ponctuelles. Au passé, cet état continu s'exprime naturellement avec could : I could see the lake. I could hear them talking.
In positive statements about specific achievements, could is not standard: ✗ Everybody could escape from the fire. → ✓ Everybody was able to escape. However, in negative statements, couldn't is always correct: ✓ Nobody could escape. ✓ I couldn't find my keys.
En positif pour des réussites spécifiques, could n'est pas standard. En négatif, couldn't est toujours correct.
Both express a specific past success. Managed to often implies it was difficult or required effort: I managed to finish on time (it was a challenge). Was able to is more neutral. Both are correct alternatives to could for specific positive achievements.
Les deux expriment une réussite passée spécifique. Managed to implique souvent que c'était difficile ou que cela a demandé un effort. Was able to est plus neutre. Les deux sont des alternatives correctes à could pour des réussites positives spécifiques.
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