MODAL AUXILIARIES
Form: Can/could + base Verb (verb-1)
Can :express possibility or ability in the
present
could :express possibility or ability in the past.
Example
Can you bring my jacket/ጃኬቴን ልታመጣልኝ
ትችላለህ?
Could you bring my jacket/ጃኬቴን ልታመጣልኝ
ትችላለህንን?
Don’t forget could is the past form of can.
Which is more polite.
Cont..
Can: To be able to do
Can you drive? Yes, I can drive.
Can I use your car, Mihretu?You can use my car if you
like.
When I was 10, I could read perfectly.10 አመት እያለሁ
በደንብ የማንበብ ችሎታ ነበረኝ
When it come to with other sentence reference could is
used as past.
I could ride a bike./so it is not past.because there is no past
reference
I can’t read books.መፅሀፍ የማንበብ ችሎታዉ የለኝም
I can’t have bought that house.//ያንን ቤት የመግዛት ችሎታዉ
/አቅሙ የለኝም፡፡
I can’t have that house./ ያ ቤት ሊኖረኝ አይችልም፡፡
I could speak English when I was 6.እንግሊዘኛ መናገር እችል ነበር
I can’t have come yesterday.[I didn’t come yesterday]መምጣት
አልቻልኩም
I couldn’t have come yesterday[I come yesterday]ትላንት መምጣት
አልችልም ነበር
I Will Open A Company Next Year/ቀጣይ አመት ካምፓኒ
እከፍታለሁ፡፡
I Will Have Opened A Company Next Year/የዛሬ አመት
ካምፓኒየን ከፍቻለሁ፡፡
It is a kind of imagination about a future action is called future perfect.
perfect condition
Would—interest/willingness
Should—obligation/necessity
Could---possibility/ability
• Would
• Should have+past participle
• Could
Contracted form
Would have----would’ve
Should have----should’ve
Could have-----could’ve
Would and wouldn’t
********************
• I would have spent time with you.[I didn’t spent time with you]
ካንተ ጋር ጊዜየን ማሳለፍ እፈልግ ነበር፡፡
Would I have spent time with you ?
• She would have talked you.[she didn’t talk to you]
ልታናግርህ ትፈልግ ነበር፡፡
Would She have talked you ?
*******************
I wouldn’t have married you.(አንተን ማግባት አልፈልግም ነበር)
I wouldn’t have learnt chemistry(ኬሚስትሪ መማር አልፈልግም
ነበር)
I wouldn’t have gone to canada.(ካናዳ መሄድ አልፈልግም ነበር).
Should and shouldn’t
********************
You should learn English. (እንግሊዘኛ መማር አለብህ)
should You learn English?
You should have learnt English (እንግሊዘኛ መማር ነበረብህ)
should You have learn English ?
********************
I shouldn't have insulted my brother.(ወንድሜን መሳደብ
አልነበረብኝም)
I shouldn’t have called you.(ልደዉልልህ አይገባኝም ነበር)
Could and couldn’t
********************
I could go to canada.(የመሄድ እድሉ /ችሎታዉ አለህ)
I could have gone to canada.(ካናዳ የመሄድ እድሉ ነበረኝ)
********************
I couldn’t have graduated with out the help of my mother
(ያለእናቴ እርዳታ ልመረቅ አልችልም ነበር)
I couldn’t have spoken with out the help of my teacher .
(ያለመምህሬ ርዳታ እንግሊዘኛ መናገር
አልችልም ነበር)
