can - to be able to, to be allowed to

Modals - Explanation

may

must

Exercise: can, to be able to

We often use to be able to or to be allowed to instead of "can". We can only form the Past of "can" (could). To put "can" into other tenses we need the phrases to be able to or to be allowed to.

Affirmative sentences

Tense	Modal	Form
Simple Present	I can play football.	I am able to play football. I'm able to play football.
		I am allowed to play football.  I'm allowed to play football.
Simple Past	I could play football.	I was able to play football.
		I was allowed to play football.
will-future	Do not use can in the will-future.	I will be able to play football. I'll be able to play football.
		I will be allowed to play football.  I'll be allowed to play football.

Other possible tenses:
e.g. Present Perfect: I have been able to play football.

Negations

Tense	Modal	Form
Simple Present	I cannot play football. I can't play football.	I am not able to play football. I'm not able to play football.
		I am not allowed to play football.  I'm not allowed to play football.
Simple Past	I could not play football. I couldn't play football.	I was not able to play football. I wasn't able to play football.
		I was not allowed to play football. I wasn't allowed to play football.
will-future	Do not use cannot in the will-future.	I will not be able to play football. I won't be able to play football.
		I will not be allowed to play football.  I won't be allowed to play football.

Questions

Tense	Modal	Form
Simple Present	Can he play football?	Is he able to play football?
		Is he allowed to play football?
Simple Past	Could he play football?	Was he able to play football?
		Was he allowed to play football?
will-future	Do not use can in the will-future.	Will he be able to play football?
		Will he be allowed to play football?

Gerund/Infinitive - Explanations Gerund/Infinitive - Exercises

English Grammar - The Gerund

Use

-ing form used as a noun

Form

infinitive + -ing

Examples

Going to parties is fun.	I enjoy reading.
Gerund is subject	Gerund is object

Adjectives - Comparison as ... as - Exercise

1. A=B

Our car is as fast as Peter's car.

2. A><B

a) John's car isn't as fast as our car. (A<B)

b) Our car is faster than John's car. (A>B)

Our car is faster than Peter's car.

Peter's car is slower than our car.

NOTE!

John is taller than me. 

Max is as tall as me.

Do not mix up than with then.

The adverbs in English

Adverbs tell us in what way someone does something. Adverbs can modify verbs, adjectives or other adverbs.

Adjectives tell us something about a person or a thing. Adjectives can modify nouns or pronouns.

Adjective	Adverb
Mandy is a careful girl.	Mandy drives carefully.
Mandy is very careful.

Mandy is a careful driver. This sentence is about Mandy, the driver, so use the adjective.

Mandy drives carefully. This sentence is about her way of driving, so use the adverb.

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Form

Adjective + -ly

Adjective	Adverb
dangerous	dangerously
careful	carefully
nice	nicely
easy	easily
horrible	horribly
electronic	electronically
irregular forms
good	well
fast	fast
hard	hard

If the adjective ends in -le, the adverb ends in -ly.
Example: terrible - terribly

If the adjective ends in -e, then add -ly.
Example: safe - safely

Tip: Not all words ending in -ly are adverbs.

adjectives ending in -ly: friendly, silly, lonely, ugly
nouns, ending in -ly: ally, bully, Italy, melancholy
verbs, ending in -ly: apply, rely, supply

There is no adverb for an andjective ending in -ly.

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Types of adverbs

1) Adverbs of manner 
quickly
kindly

2) Adverbs of degree
very
rather

3) Adverbs of frequency
often
sometimes

4) Adverbs of time 
now
today

5) Adverbs of place 
here
nowhere