Untuk menunjukkan kemampuan atau kebisaan (ability), kita biasanya menggunakan can atau could. Lalu, apa bedanya?
CAN | COULD |
Untuk menyatakan sesuatu yang masih bisa dilakukan di masa sekarang. | Untuk menyatakan sesuatu yang hanya bisa dilakukan di masa lampau, sekarang tidak bisa lagi. |
Contoh: “Now I can cook properly after watching Chef Davina’s recipes.“ Artinya: baru sekarang si I bisa masak dengan baik setelah menonton resep-resep Chef Davina. | Contoh: “Four years ago, Harris couldn’t play guitar.“ Artinya: di waktu empat tahun yang lalu, Harris dalam keadaan tidak bisa memainkan gitar. Mungkin sekarang dia bisa (can) atau tetap tidak bisa (can’t) |
RUMUS | |
Positif | S + CAN/COULD + verb 1 I can talk to your mother. |
Negatif | S + CAN/COULD + not + verb 1 She couldn’t hold her breath. |
Interogatif (Apakah) | CAN/COULD + S + verb 1? Can you try? – Yes, I can. – No, I can’t. |
Interogatif (5W1H) What (Apa) Where (Dimana) Who (Siapa) When (Kapan) Why (Mengapa) How (Bagaimana) | 5W1H + CAN/COULD + S + verb 1? Where can I buy this book? What can they do? |
S adalah subject.
Verb 1 adalah kata kerja bentuk pertama, tanpa imbuhan atau perubahaan.
INGAT!
- Setelah kata can atau could, jangan ditambahkan –ing, -s, -ies, atau -ed
Contoh:
Mary couldn’t speaking English before ❌
Mary couldn’t speak English before ✔️ - Sebelum kata kerja, jangan tambahkan to
Contoh:
I can to play badminton ❌
I can play badminton ✔️ - Untuk membentuk pertanyaan ‘apakah’, jangan gunakan do, does, atau did
Contoh:
Does he can jump high? ❌
Can he jump high? ✔️
Fill in the blanks using can/could/can’t/couldn’t
- Penguins …………….. swim very well.
- I …………….. run very fast when I was younger.
- It’s snowing, so we …………….. go out now.
- Yesterday we …………….. play because it was raining.
- …………….. you play the piano when you were seven?
- You have a nice tricycle. …………….. you ride it?
- He has a broken leg, so he …………….. walk for a few days.
- I …………….. sleep last night. There were so many mosquitoes!
- We came as fast as we ………………
- Is there something I …………….. do for you?
- James …………….. use a computer when he was a three, but now he ……………..
- Emily is from the USA. She …………….. speak English fluently.
- …………….. I talk to you?
- …………….. you swim when you were seven?
- Sorry that we …………….. come to your party