The document summarizes a lesson on the use of the modal verb "can" in English. It discusses how "can" is used to express ability or permission, and the forms for affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences. It also compares "can" to "could" and "be able to", explaining that "could" can indicate a past ability or permission while "be able to" is used for a specific situation rather than a general skill. The lesson includes exercises like multiple choice, word order, cloze tests, and translation to practice these uses of modals.

1. UTN
Facultad Regional
Venado Tuerto

2. Clase Pública
del Concurso Docente
para
Auxiliar Ordinario
de la Cátedra Inglés I y II
Carrera de Ingeniería Electromecánica
Agosto 14, 2009

3. Prof. Lic. Federico Pedro Barbieri
Universidad del Salvador
UTN FRVT

4. Ability
(habilidad)

5. Ability
Usamos ‘can’ para expresar:
a) posibilidad o permiso para hacer algo:
e.g: -We can see the lake from our window
-You can go now
b) y también para expresar
-habilidad, destreza o talento
e.g.: -Can you speak foreign languages?
-I can fly planes

6. FORM
-Can + bare infinitive > (forma afirmativa)
-Can’t (= cannot ) + b.i. > (forma negativa)
-Can I …. ? + b.i. > (forma interrogativa)

7. -Tom can skate
-Tom can’t skate
-Can Tom skate?
-Peter can play football
-Peter can’t play football
-Can Peter play football?
-Paul can make cakes
-Paul can’t make cakes
-Can Paul make cakes?

8. Podemos decir que alguien…
…‘es capaz de hacer algo’ (is able to do something), pero
usar ‘can ’ es más común o usual:
e.g.: We are able to see / can see the lake from our
bedroom window.
Pero can tiene dos formas: can (presente) y could (pasado).
Por eso es necesario usar a veces ‘(be) able to’.
Comparemos:
-I can’t sleep
-I haven’t been able to sleep

9. COULD
a) ‘Could’ es a veces el pasado de ‘can’. Usamos ‘could’ especialmente
con los verbos (de percepción interna):
see, hear, smell, taste, feel, remember, understand
e.g.: -We had a lovely room. We could see the lake
-When i got there, I could smell gas
b) También usamos ‘could’ para decir que alguien tenía la habilidad general
o permiso para hacer algo:
e.g.: -My grandfather could speak five languages
-We were free. We could do what we wanted (=we were allowed to)

10. ‘COULD’ and ‘WAS ABLE TO’
Usamos ‘could’ para HABILIDAD GENERAL
Pero para decir que alguien hizo algo es una situación específica,
usamos ‘was / were able to’ o ‘managed to’
e.g.: -The fire spread, but we were able to / managed to
escape.
-We didn’t know where David was but we managed to
find / were able to find him.

11. EJERCITACION
-ejercicios de ‘mutliple choice’
-ordenar palabras dadas para formar una
oración
-cloze tests
-traducciones

12. EXERCISES
MULTIPLE CHOICE
3. Choose the correct response
1 a. ‘Can you ride bicycles’?
a- Yes, I can b- Yes, I do c- No, I’m not
1 b. ‘Can children speak several languages?
a- No, they don’t b- Yes, I do c-. Yes, they can
1 c. ‘Can cells invade tissue?
a- Yes, they do b- Yes, they can c- Don’t know

13. WORD ORDER
• Charles – play - golf – not –can
• can – draw - Mary – portraits
• metals – can – erode – some - surfaces
CLOZE TESTS
Complete using can / can’t / Can …?
….. I took typing lessons so I (1)……… take down notes. In my
school we had only a few French lessons, so I’m afraid I (2 )…….
speak it fluently. I (3)….. process texts but I (4)……. take
etc……..

14. TRANSLATION EXERCISES
HINTS TO TRANSLATE TEXTS
-Be aware of the grammar of both languages.
-Get a good, reliable dictionary.
-Decide what technique to use (i.e.: set of
procedures and how to use them)

15. TRANSLATE
1) Seasonal influenza / can cause / mild to
severe illness
2) Polio victim / can play / 23 musical
instruments
3)Smoking / can damage / the blood
vessels

16. TRANSLATE
Each cell can take in nutrients, convert these nutrients
into energy, carry out specialized functions, and can also
reproduce as necessary. Each cell stores its own set of
instructions for carrying out each of these activities.
Source: http://wapedia.mobi/en/Cell_(biology)
Cada célula puede incorporar nutrientes, convertirlos en
energía, llevar a cabo funciones especializadas, y puede
también reproducirse como sea necesario. Cada célula
almacena su propio conjunto de instrucciones para llevar
a cabo cada una de estas actividades

17. TRANSLATE
Levers
When a force / acts / on a body / it may cause / it / to move / in
a straight line / or to turn about / a point / or to do both. / A
force / can make / a body rotate / around a point / which is
not / in its line of action.
Source: Glendinning E., English in Mechanical Engineering. P. 50 Oxford. 1974.
Palancas
Cuando una fuerza / actúa / sobre un cuerpo / puede causar /
que éste se mueva / en línea recta / o que gire / sobre un punto /
o que haga ambas cosas. / Una fuerza / puede hacer / rotar a un
cuerpo / alrededor de un punto / que no está / en su línea de
acción

18. BIBLIOGRAFIA
Alexander, L. G. Longman English Grammar Ed. Longman 1990
Brieger, N Technical English Summertown 2002
Gibbons, P Physics Barron's 1992
Glendinning, E. English in Mechanical Engineering Oxford 1974
Greenbaum, S. A Student's Grammar of the E. Language Longman 1990
Legorburu, M Guia de Traduccion Ingles castellano Plus Ultra 1980
Luis, B; Pecci A Ingles Técnico - Guía de Elementos UTN FRVT
Murphy, R. English Grammar in Use Cambridge 2004
Orellana, M. La traducción del Inglés al Castellano Universitaria 1999
Quirk, R. A University Grammar of English Longman 1973
Saslow, J. Top Notch Pearson 2006
Swan, M. Practical English Usage Oxford 2005