Complete these sentences with 'can' or 'be able to'. v2.png

1. I'm sorry I won't come.

be able to
can

2. How possibly imagine that?

are you able to
can you

3. Once I've passed my test I'll drive a car.

be able to
can

1. I'm sorry I won't come.

Correct answer 1: be able to

2.  How possibly imagine that?

Correct answer 2: can you

3.  Once I've passed my test I'll drive a car.

Correct answer 3: be able to

Объяснение:

Modal verb 'can'

Can is an auxiliary verb, a modal auxiliary verb. We use can to:

- talk about possibility and ability

- make requests

- ask for or give permission

The main verb is always the bare infinitive (infinitive without "to").

subject

auxiliary verb

main verb

+

I

can

play

tennis.

-

He

cannot/can't

play

tennis.

?

Can

you

play

tennis?

Use of can

Possibility and Ability

We use can to talk about what is possible, what we are able or free to do:

Normally, we use can for the present. But it is possible to use can when we make present decisions about future ability.

Requests and Orders

We often use can in a question to ask somebody to do something. This is not a real question - we do not really want to know if the person is able to do something, we want them to do it! The use of can in this way is informal (mainly between friends and family).

Permission

We sometimes use can to ask or give permission for something.

(Note that we also use could, may, might for permission. The use of can for permission is informal.)

Be Able To

Although we look at be able to here, it is not a modal verb. It is simply the verb be plus an adjective (able) followed by the infinitive. We look at be able to here because we sometimes use it instead of can and could.

We use be able to to talk about ability.

Structure of be able to: subject + be + able + infinitive

subject

main verb be

able adjective

infinitive

+

I

am

able

to drive.

-

She

is not/isn't

able

to drive

?

Are

you

able

to drive?

Use of be able to

Ability

We use be able to to express ability. "Able" is an adjective meaning: having the power, skill or means to do something. If we say "I am able to swim", it is like saying "I can swim". We sometimes use "be able to" instead of "can" or "could" for ability. "Be able to" is possible in all tenses - but "can" is possible only in the present and "could" is possible only in the past for ability. In addition, "can" and "could" have no infinitive form. So we use "be able to" when we want to use other tenses or the infinitive.