Distinguishing Can/Could from Be Able To

Can/Could vs Be Able To

Can or could and be able to are two different usages in the English language, each carrying distinct meanings. Can is the present tense of could, and could is the past tense of can. In comparison, to be able to is a separate verb. However, the use of can or could is more common in English than the use of the verb be able to.

Key Takeaways

• Can and could both indicate the idea of possibility, while be able to indicates general ability.
• Could is generally used as the past tense form of can and can also imply having the ability to do something but not trying to do it.
• Be able to is used to talk about future ability, but its usage is less common than can and could.

Meaning of Can or Could

Can is used to express the idea of possibility, as in the sentence “I can do the work,” which implies that it is possible for the person to do the work. Similarly, could is used to indicate possibility in the past tense, as in the sentence, “I could go,” meaning it was possible for the person to go. Both can and could are primarily used to convey a sense of possibility.

Furthermore, could is sometimes employed when expressing that someone had the ability to do something but did not try to do it, as in the sentence, “I could have married anybody I liked,” which implies that the person had the ability to marry but did not make an effort to do so. Sentences with can often provide information about the behavior or nature of the object or place being described, such as in the sentence, “The city of Brisbane can be very hot during the summer.” Generally, could is used to talk about the past, as in the sentence, “My brother could be very helpful at times.”

Meaning of Be Able To

On the other hand, be able to indicates general ability, as in the sentence, “You are certainly able to dance.” It should be noted that the usage of be able to is less common than can and could. Be able to is also used to talk about future ability, as in the sentence, “One day you will be able to do it,” which differs from the sentence “One day you can do it.”

Difference between Can or Could and Be Able To

• Can is used to indicate the idea of possibility, while could also indicates a possibility.
• Could is generally used as the past tense form of can and sometimes implies having the ability to do something but not trying to do it.
• Sentences with can often provide information about the behavior or nature of the object or place being described, while generally, could is used to talk about the past.
• On the other hand, be able to indicates general ability, but its usage is less common than can and could.
• Be able to is used to talk about future ability.