can – Page 2 – English Grammar Profiler

ADVERBS (hedging | emphasis)

A2, ADVERBS, emphasis, hedging, MODALITY, position

Adverbs can modify assertions by hedging or emphasizing when placed in mid-position or after the main verb ‘be’. For example, “probably” in “you’re probably busy” hedges the assertion, making it less absolute. Conversely, “definitely” in “it is definitely the right thing to do” emphasizes the assertion, reinforcing its certainty. This usage of adverbs is categorized as A2 in the English Grammar Profile, with higher levels for certain constructions.

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imperative clause + question tag

B2, imperatives, QUESTIONS, tags

In the English Grammar Profile, B2 point 28 in the category of QUESTIONS is defined as: affirmative or negative tag after an imperative clause to soften the imperative. *Some examples don’t seem to soften but instead add a touch of sarcasm. iWeb corpus doesn’t allow searching for such a complex string. We can start with

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if | when | while | so + SUBORDINATE CLAUSE

A2, B1, CLAUSES, conditional, CONJUNCTIONS, subordinate

A subordinating conjunction connects a sentence’s main clause and a subordinate clause. The subordinate clause (also known as an adverb clause) provides additional information explaining the when, where, how, or why of the main clause. “If, when & while” are sometimes interchangeable. In the sentence “It’s hard to have a girlfriend when you don’t have a

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can’t have past participle

C1, deductions, MODALITY, NEGATIVE, perfect

In the English Grammar Profile, C1 point 188 in the category of MODALITY is defined as: PAST NEGATIVE, ‘can’t’ or ‘cannot have’ + ‘-ed’ to make deductions. It means that if we cannot have fired those torpedoes, someone else did. listen A search in iWeb: 1 CA N’T HAVE HELPED 61 The New York Times Emma Thompson Can’t Live Without Hannah Gadsby and

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CAN (focus)

C1, emphasis, fixed expressions, FOCUS, MODALITY

“As you can see” is used to draw attention to something that is obvious or visible. For example, you might say “As you can see, the cat is sitting on the mat” or “As you can see, the results of the test are not good.”
“I can’t say” is used to express uncertainty or doubt. For example, you might say “I can’t say for sure when I’ll be finished with this project” or “I can’t say that I agree with your decision.”
“I can tell you that” is used to make a statement that is certain or factual. For example, you might say “I can tell you that the meeting will start at 10am” or “I can tell you that I’m not happy with the way things are going.”
“As you can imagine” is used to express something that is easy to understand or picture. For example, you might say “As you can imagine, I was very excited to get the job offer” or “As you can imagine, the traffic was terrible today.”
“I can say that” is used to make a statement that is true or accurate. For example, you might say “I can say that I’m very proud of my children” or “I can say that I’ve learned a lot from this experience.”
“I can assure you that” is used to express confidence or certainty. For example, you might say “I can assure you that I will do my best” or “I can assure you that your information is safe with me.”

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can’t (questions)

ability, B1, MODALITY, NEGATIVE, permission, QUESTIONS, surprise

Negative questions with the modal verb “can’t” are used to ask for permission or confirmation in a polite or surprised way. For example:

Can’t we go to the park today? (asking for permission)
Can’t you see I’m busy? (expressing surprise)
To form a negative question with “can’t”, we put “can’t” before the subject and the main verb after the subject. For example:

Can’t + you + see?
Can’t + we + go?

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can’t | cannot

A1, A2, appeal, B2, deductions, guess, MODALITY, NEGATIVE, prediction, reproach

Modality is the grammatical expression of the speaker’s attitude or opinion about the possibility, necessity, or certainty of an action or state. Can’t is a modal verb that shows the negation of the verb can. It means that the subject is unable to do something, such as perform an action or demonstrate an ability. It can also be used to express deduction, which is a logical inference based on evidence or reasoning. For example:

She can’t swim. (ability)
He can’t be at home. It’s too early. (deduction)

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CAN + increasing range of adverbs

ADVERBS, B2, C1, MODALITY, range

In the English Grammar Profile, B2 point 173 in the category of MODALITY is defined as: ‘can’ with an increasing range of adverbs (including ‘easily’, ‘hardly’, ‘now’, ‘probably‘, ‘sometimes’, ‘still’) in the normal mid position after the modal verb or after the subject in questions. *Note ‘still’ is listed at B1. C1 Point 196 in MODALITY

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‘It cannot be true’ (modality)

ADJECTIVES, B2, deductions, guess, MODALITY, NEGATIVE, prediction

In the English Grammar Profile, B2 point 137 in MODALITY is defined as: negative forms of ‘can’t’ and ‘cannot’ to guess, predict and deduce. This point is an extremely difficult point to locate because it heavily relies on usage. The use of ‘can’t’ is A1 by default, but not ‘cannot’ which has not been given

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superlative + THAT clause ‘the best you can’

ADJECTIVES, B1, B2, CLAUSES, comparatives, complements, relative, superlative

Let’s explain what a ‘superlative clause’ is with this example: It’s the best car that you can buy. the best is the superlative adjective. that you can buy is the relative clause We can rewrite this as two sentences: It is the best car. You can buy it. Here the object it is replaced with the

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how can (reflections)

C2, MODALITY, QUESTIONS, rhetorical

Rhetorical questions using “how can” serve to engage the reader or listener, provoke thought, and draw attention to the underlying issues or contradictions in a persuasive and reflective manner.