E02
core
Speaker stance
Modality
Ability Aura
Can someone do it?
basic
Modal verb
Can
Signification
A modal layer expressing skill, capability, learned ability, physical possibility, or practical capacity.
Comment le repérer
Ask whether the sentence says someone is able to do something.
Exemples
Mots
can|able|know how to
Expressions
can swim|able to help|know how to cook
Phrase
She can swim.
Visual guide
Basic shape
Ability layer person + CAN + action She + can + swim = skill / capacity / possibility = action is possible for her
Compare shape
Same meaning, different tools: Modal: can swim Phrase: able to help Know-how: know how to cook Affix/particle: swim-ABLE Construction: possible to swim
Vue par langue
Dans votre langue maternelle
Français
Présence
strong
Importance
Ability is commonly expressed with pouvoir, savoir, être capable de, or réussir à.
Je peux nager.
I can swim.
Dans votre langue d’apprentissage
Anglais
Présence
strong
Difficulté
L’anglais exprime surtout la capacité avec can/could et be able to.
I can swim.
can = capacité
Difficulté fréquente
Les apprenants ajoutent parfois to après un verbe modal, ou confondent can et be able to.
Same block, different coding
Both languages use this block strongly, but they signal it differently. Focus on form changes, not only meaning.