Turn the following into unreal statements and translate both variants into Russian. Change the form of the infinitive if necessary.

1. He’s obstinate. Nothing can move him.

2. No one can ever tell me when he is joking.

3. In the dimness of the room I could not see him very well.

4. You know I can never refuse you.

5. Roger told me that she could run his small establishment better than any paid housekeeper.

6. No one could tell me where he lived.

7. He’s very good at all that. You can learn a lot from him.

8. The trouble was I couldn’t do anything else.

9. She cannot tell us the truth.

10. She could not tell us the truth then.

11. That’s a question nobody can answer.

 

A. Put in “can” if possible, if not, use “could” or “will” be able to.

Note: 1. We can use can if we are deciding now what to do in the future.

2. In other cases, w have to use will be able to.

3. Conditional: We can use could to mean “would be able to”.

Examples: 1. I can see you tomorrow morning for half and hour.

2. One day we will be able to live without wars.

3. You could get a better job if you spoke a foreign language.

1. I … spoke a foreign language.

2. I think I … speak English quite well in a few months.

3. “We need some more oil.” “O.K., I … let you have some this week.

4. Dr. Parker … see you at 12 on Tuesday.

5. She … walk again in a few weeks.

6. If we took the wheels off, we … get it through the back door.

7. Do you think one day people … travel to the stars?

8. This week’s no good, but I … bring the car next week.

9. If I practiced a bit, I … be pretty good tennis.

10. In a few years, computers … think better than we do.

11. She … give you a lesson this evening.

12. I’m free at the weekend, so the kids … come round.

13. I’ll post your letter, but I don’t think the postman … read the address.

14. We’re busy this week, but we … repair it by next Thursday.

B. Complete the sentences with could, couldn’t or “was”/ “were able to”, “managed to”, succeeded in.

Note: We do not use could to say that we managed to do sth in one occasion. Instead, we use “was”/”were”, “able to”, “managed to”, “succeeded in … ing”. But the negative couldn’t is possible in all situations.

My grandfather couldn’t swim. We tried hard but we couldn’t persuade them.

1. I … speak French really well when I lived in Paris.
2. He … repair the car, but it took him a long time.
3. At last I … make her understand what I wanted.
4. We wanted to go to the opera, but we … get tickets.
5. I … swim across the river, but it was harder than I expected.
6. All three children … ride as well as they … walk.
7. Fortunately I … get her address from her office.
8. I don’t know how the cat … get though the window, but it did.
9. He … already walk when he was 10 months old.
10. After the accident, she somehow … walk home.

 

A. Express strong doubt about these negative sentences.

Model: He didn’t notice you.

Can he have failed to notice you? He can’t have failed to notice you.

He doesn’t like it here.

Can he dislike it here? He can’t dislike it here.

1. You didn’t understand me.
2. She didn’t like the play.
3. They don’t trust him.
4. They didn’t notice the mistake.
5. They didn’t receive the telegram in time.
6. They didn’t realize the importance of the event.
7. She didn’t see you.

 

B. Translate into English.

1. Неужели вы его не увидели?

2. Не мог он этого не заметить.

3. Неужели вы об этом не узнали?

4. Не может быть, чтобы он не одобрял вашего решения.

5. Не может быть, чтобы она вам об этом не рассказала.

6. Неужели он не верит этому?

7. Не может быть, чтобы ей не нравились эти картины.

8. Не может быть, чтобы я неправильно вас понял.

9. Неужели вы не нашли мою книгу?

 

Open the brackets using the appropriate form of the infinitive.

1. “It’s so awful that I can’t (to give) you anything in return,” he said. “Give me the watch you pawned to stand me a supper”. It was a little gold watch that could not (to cost) more than 10 pounds.

2. Jessup looked at him for a second or two with narrowed eyes. Then it struck him “Wait a minute”, he shot out. “If there’s food poisoning on board, it can’t (to be) only the pilots who’ve gone down with it?’

3. “I’ve got the most wonderful news for you”, she said. “Jane is going to be married”. “Nonsense! Can it (to be) true?”

4. You couldn’t (to come) more fortunately: we want you to meet a friend of ours.

5. What can he (to do) all this time? He went out an hour ago.

6. Padraic knew where he was, because he could (to hear) the steady clocking of an axe from the direction of the woodheap.

7. The blaze could (to see) now faraway.

8. I met his wife. She was a woman of twenty-eight, I should think, though of a type whose age is always doubtful: for she cannot (to look) different when she was twenty, and at forty would look no older.

9. “What do you propose to do?’ “Stay on here.” “I’m afraid it’s impossible, I’m shutting up the house”. “Nonsense! There’ll be some servants here. You cannot (to sack) the lot.

10. The old man can (to see) on the porch of his house every evening.

11. Could they still (to play) billiards?

12. He cannot (to think) of this himself. Who suggested it to him?

13. She couldn’t (to cook) since lunchtime.

14. Closing time arrived quickly enough. It could (not to be) more than an hour after I took my position on the mattresses before I noticed the blinds of the windows being drawn, and customers being marched doorward.

 

 

8. Fill in the blanks with can/can’t or be (not) able to in the proper form.

1. He …. speak English rather fluently, but that time he …. say a word. 2. He has never …. speak in public. 3. I used to …. speak German very well. 4. You …. marry her, but you …. make her love you. 5. I …. do it on Friday, but I …. do it next week. 6. …. you give me a lift to the station, please? 7. I used …. eat a kilo of sweets for supper. 8. I have never …. ride a bicycle. 9. You …. see him at the meeting. He was ill. 10. I’d like …. ski very well. 11. Luckily I ….. find a taxi. 12. I …. drive when I was fifteen. 13. I …. hear somebody running. 14. He didn’t want to go there, but we …. persuade him. 15. She sighed. I …. feel her hands shaking.

 

9. Open the brackets with could (expressing a possibility) or could have (expressing a possibility that did not happen) and make all necessary changes.

1. A car is pulling up. It could (be) Lucy. 2. He could (get) a credit, but he did not prepare all the documents in time. 3. Why didn’t you ask me? I could (do) it for you. 4. He could (be) there yesterday. 5. They could (be) there yesterday. 6. Why are you so depressed? He could (tell) a lie. 7. You should have told us about your delay. We could (cancel) our meeting. 8. He could (do) it if he tries. 9. Somebody has called on you today. – It could (be) a friend of mine. 10. I think he could (commit) a crime, but he’s got an alibi. 11. The train arrives at 11.30. She could (come) at noon. 12. Yesterday I saw him driving at a very high speed. He could (crash).

 

10. Express your surprise and disbelief using can/could.

A in interrogative sentences.

Example: He is working now. – Can/Could he be working now?

1. He was at the party yesterday. 2. They are in Germany. 3. He has broken his leg. 4. They were sent to prison. 5. She got married. 6. He studies at Cambridge University. 7. She has been practicing the violin for five years. 8. He has made an interesting report. 9. He has won a lot of money in the casino. 10. They will go to the Canaries next summer. 11. He has passed his English exam. 12. She will be forty in June. 13. She is stubborn. 14. He was a cruel man.

 

B in negative sentences.

 

Example: He bought a new car. – He can’t/couldn’t have bought a car.

1. You are mistaken. 2. They forgot about the meeting. 3. He is writing a new novel now. 4. She has bought a new fur coat. 5. He had an accident. 6. Mary will invite the Jones to her place for the weekend. 7. They upset our plans. 8. She wastes a lot of time. 9. Mr. Fox is a reliable person. 10. She is making a cruise now.

 

11. To practice can, make up situations of your own using the following patterns.

1. Не может быть, чтобы…

- он был таким глупым

- она всё ещё писала эту статью

- они ушли, не предупредив нас

- дети гуляли под дождём уже целый час

2. Неужели…

- она всё ещё работает?

- он твой брат?

- они ищут нас так долго?

- он уже ушёл?

3. И что (где, как, почему) это…

- он может иметь в виду, говоря эти слова?

- она может находиться сейчас?

- они могли это сделать?

- такое могло случиться?

4. Он просто не может (не мог, не мог бы)

- они… позволить себе купить такой дорогой автомобиль

- он… потерять эти документы

- она… слышать нас

- они… ответить таким образом на его слова

5. … не могу не…

Я просто не могу не думать, что она совершила такую чудовищную ошибку

Я не могла не заметить, что он плохо себя чувствовал.

Они не могли не узнать о нашем приезде

Она не могла не приехать в такой день

6. … ничего не остаётся, как…

- Мне ничего не остаётся, как попросить его о помощи

- Ему ничего не оставалось, как сказать правду

- Им ничего не оставалось, как вежливо поприветствовать её

- Нам ничего не оставалось, как принять их предложение

 

Translate into English.

 

1. Не может быть, чтобы он был дома вчера в это время. 2. Неужели он сказал вам об этом? 3. Возможно, он и заходил к ним, когда был в Москве. 4. Он мог бы сделать это, но не захотел. 5. Неужели он отказался ехать туда? 6. Не может быть, чтобы он спал сейчас. 7. Не может быть, чтобы они уехали, не попрощавшись с нами. 8. Не может быть, чтобы она вам так ответила. 9. Он мог бы приехать завтра. 10. Не может быть, что он столкнулся с другой машиной. Он такой осторожный водитель. 11. Вряд ли он забыл о своем обещании, я напоминала ему об этом вчера. 12. Он не мог прочитать эту книгу так быстро, она слишком трудна для него. 13. Они смогли бы подняться на вершину, но им помешала погода. 14. Вряд ли они поженятся; они слишком разные люди. 15. Разве мог кто-нибудь подумать, что он выиграет матч?