E02
core
Speaker stance
Modality
Ability Aura
Can someone do it?
basic
Modal verb
Can
Meaning
A modal layer expressing skill, capability, learned ability, physical possibility, or practical capacity.
How to spot it
Ask whether the sentence says someone is able to do something.
Examples
Words
can|able|know how to
Phrases
can swim|able to help|know how to cook
Sentence
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
Language View
In your native language
English
Presence
strong
Importance
English expresses ability mainly with can/could and be able to.
I can swim.
can = ability
In your learning language
Spanish
Presence
strong
Difficulty
Ability is expressed mainly with saber for learned ability and poder for possibility/capacity.
Sé nadar. Puedo ayudarte.
I know how to swim. I can help you.
Typical learner issue
Learners often confuse saber and poder.
Same block, different coding
Both languages use this block strongly, but they signal it differently. Focus on form changes, not only meaning.