Can vs. be able to

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fabry2811

fabry2811

Senior Member
Sicily/Rome
Italy - Italian
Ciao a tutti!

Mi spiegate per favore quando è preferibile usare TO CAN e quando invece TO BE ABLE TO?

Può essere solo una differenza di "forma": forse la seconda modalità è più elegante?

Grazie!

Fabrizio
 
    • J

    Josseppe

    Senior Member
    Florida
    American English
    Tenta questo:

    I can ride a bike / Posso andare in bicicletta

    =

    I am able to ride a bike / Posso andare in bicicletta

    Tutti e due sono lo stesso (in significance). Forse la seconda e` piu` elegante, ma TO CAN e` piu` normale (per me).
     
    TrentinaNE

    TrentinaNE

    Senior Member
    USA
    English (American)
    Actually, there is no infinitive form for can in English (no to can), except in the transitive verb sense.

    In the example Josseppe gave, can might have a more immediate connotation (i.e., I can ride a bike to get to your house, as opposed to walking), while am able to clearly refers to knowing how to ride a bike in general.

    Elisabetta
     
    GiovanniO

    GiovanniO

    Senior Member
    Florida
    English (USA)
    fabry2811 said:
    Può essere solo una differenza di "forma": forse la seconda modalità è più elegante?
    Click to expand...
    Secondo me, qualche volta, ma non sempre.

    Per esempio, queste frasi vogliono dire la stessa cosa.
    She can play the piano.
    She is able to play the piano.

    Però,
    I would like to be able to play the piano.
    I would like to can ...:cross::cross: (non è possibile usare "can" qui)
     
    Murphy

    Murphy

    Senior Member
    Sicily, Italy
    English, UK
    Prima di tutto, "to can" non esiste;) Can è un "modal verb" e come tale non ha una forma all'infinito. Quindi, se vuoi usare "potere" all'infinito, dovrai usare "to be able to", il cui significato corrisponde. Lo stesso vale per il gerundio. "Canning" ovviamente non esiste, ma "being able to" può essere usato invece.

    Nello stesso modo, "to be able to" può essere usato con altri verbi modali, come "will, would" ecc
    Eg
    I will be able to finish the project if I have more time.
    I would be able to finish the project if I had more time.

    Per quanto riguarda il passato, "was/were able to" può essere usato per dire "essere riuscito a" in un'unica occasione, invece "could" forse dà più l'idea di un'abilità che si aveva al passato.

    Eg. I was able to sing at the concert despite having a bad cold.
    I could sing very well when I was younger.

    Aparte la leggera differenza nell'uso al passato, non c'è veramente una differenza nel senso, ma dire "I am able to" invece di "I can" è certamente più formale, e forse mette più emfasi sulla propria capacità di fare una cosa.
    :)
     
    G

    Giak

    Senior Member
    Italy / Italian
    Murphy said:
    A parte la leggera differenza nell'uso al passato, non c'è veramente una differenza nel senso, ma dire "I am able to" invece di "I can" è certamente più formale, e forse mette più emfasi sulla propria capacità di fare una cosa.
    :)
    Click to expand...

    Mentre TO BE ABLE TO è chiaramente riferito al concetto di "capacità/abilità", nel caso di "permesso/possibilità" CAN potrebbe essere anche sostituito da MAY se necessario.
    Sbaglio?
     
    M

    mara7627

    New Member
    ITALIANO
    fabry2811 said:
    Ciao a tutti!

    Mi spiegate per favore quando è preferibile usare TO CAN e quando invece TO BE ABLE TO?

    Può essere solo una differenza di "forma": forse la seconda modalità è più elegante?

    Grazie!

    Fabrizio
    Click to expand...



    When we talk about a specific, one-time achievement in the past, we use was or were able to. We do not use could.
    Talia was able to finish Sunday’s crossword puzzle in just an hour.
    We do not say, She could finish Sunday’s crossword puzzle in just an hour.


    We can use couldn't or wasn't (or weren't) able to to talk about past inability, including specific, one-time events.
    Talia entered a crossword contest last year. But she wasn’t able to finish the puzzle.
    She couldn’t figure out one of the words.


    For all other forms and tenses we use be able to, not can or could. We use it after to for the infinitive, with the present perfect, and with the future.
    Talia hopes to be able to give Tony an answer soon.

    Our expert hasn’t been able to solve the problem since this morning.

    I hope he’ll be able to solve it by tomorrow.
     
    W

    Wouter10

    New Member
    Dutch - Netherlands
    Suppose someone asks you: Can you ride a bike?

    And you want to answer with "I had the ability in the past, but not anymore" then what do you say?

    Because "I could ride a bike" sounds more like you're considering it (like in: we could go to the movies tonight).
     
    curiosone

    curiosone

    Senior Member
    Romagna, Italy
    AmE - hillbilly ;)
    Wouter10 said:
    Suppose someone asks you: Can you ride a bike?

    And you want to answer with "I had the ability in the past, but not anymore" then what do you say?

    Because "I could ride a bike" sounds more like you're considering it (like in: we could go to the movies tonight).
    Click to expand...
    I agree that "I could ride a bike" sounds more intentional.

    It's generally said however that, once you've learned to ride a bike, you can never un-learn it (your body will remember, even if you don't - even if you are no longer able to ride, for any physical reason).
    However you could say "I no longer ride a bike" or "I used to ride a bike" or "I don't ride bikes anymore" or ... (if you insist on 'potere') "I can't ride a bike anymore (since I got my hip replacement / since my accident / because I'm afraid of falling... etc.)

    [my 95-year-old aunt rode her cyclette every day, with her doctor's approval. He said it helped her to keep her knees moving, without putting any weight on them.]
     
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