Hello, I"m Emma from mmmEnglish!
Last week, my lesson was about using modal verbs to express possibility and probability.
大家好，我是Emma，欢迎来到Emma的美味英语！
上周我们在课程中学习了用来表达可能性的情态动词。
If you haven"t seen it, make sure you check it out after this lesson.
I"ll link to it at the end of this video.
如果你还没看那节课程的话，下课之后别忘了看一下哦。
我会在视频结束给大家上节课的链接。
So, we"ll continue talking about modal verbs today, but this time modal verbs that express ability.
Now, it"s important to know that one modal verb can be used to express different things in English.
我们今天会继续讨论情态动词，但是这次的情态动词是用来表示能力的。
大家要知道，英语中的某一个情态动词可以表达不同的意思。
So, for example, the modal verb "can" is used to express possibility but in this lesson today, I"ll explain how it expresses ability.
And then later, you"ll learn that "can" can also be used to ask permission, make requests and offer help.
比如说，情态动词“can”上节课是用来表示可能性，但是在本节课程中，我会告诉大家这个单词是如何用来表示能力的。
然后呢，你还会学到“can”还可以用来征求许可，提出要求，以及提供帮助。
So, it"s a pretty useful modal verb!
To express ability in English, you need to use these verbs Can.
所以，这是个非常有用的情态动词呢！
你需要使用这些情态动词来表示英语之中的能力：can（可以）。
Can"t. Could.
Can"t（不可以）。Could（可以）。
Couldn"t. And be able to.
Couldn"t（不可以）。以及be able to（有能力做）。
Now, "can" and "can"t" are pretty simple.
They"re both used to express ability in the present tense.
“Can”和“Can"t”这两个都非常简单。
它们都是用来表示能力的现在时。
You can speak English. My mum can pick us up.
你可以说英语。我的妈妈可以来接我。
I can ask my brother for help. We also use " (be) able to" to express the same thing.
我可以找我哥哥寻求帮助。我们还会使用“be able to”来表达相同的意思。
You are able to speak English. My mum is able to pick us up.
你能说英语。我的妈妈能来接我。
I am able to ask my brother for help.
But notice that the "be" verb conjugates to the subject when we"re using " (be) able to".
我能找我哥哥寻求帮助。
但是要注意哦，使用 “(be) able to”的时候，如果和不同的主语搭配，“be”动词的形式要进行相应地改变。
But, when you"re using the modal verb "can" it doesn"t matter what the subject is.
The modal verb is always the same.
但是，当你使用情态动词“can”的时候，不管主语是什么都无所谓。
情态动词形式永远是相同的。
And this is true for all modal verbs. They have just one form.
所有的情态动词都是一样的。他们只有一种形式。
Now, the present tense is simple.
But, when we talk about ability in the past, we need to pay closer attention to the rules.
现在时是最简单的。
但是，当我们讨论过去的能力的时候，我们需要注意这些规则哦。
Because we use "could" to talk about general ability and we use "was/were able to" to talk about specific ability in the past. Huh?
因为我们需要使用“could”来讨论过去一般能力，使用“was/were able to”讨论过去的更加特殊能力。懂了吗？
To express yourself correctly, you need to understand what is general ability and what is specific ability?
If someone had the ability to do something, at all times and in many different situations, then this is a general ability.
想要正确地进行表达的话，你需要理解什么是一般能力，什么是特殊能力。
如果有人无论在什么时候，在什么情况下都有做某件事情的能力，那就是一般能力。
She could read by the time she was five.
She could read anything!
她五岁的时候就能阅读了。她什么都可以读！
Books, newspapers, letters, anything! This is a general ability, so "could" is the correct choice here.
书、报纸、书信，一切！这是一种一般能力，所以这里应该使用“could”。
Now, if someone had the ability to do something at a specific time, in a specific situation, well, this is specific ability.
She was able to read Little Red Riding Hood in front of the class.
如果有人在某个特定的时间、特定的情况下有能力做某件事，那么这就是特殊能力。
她可以在全班面前朗读小红帽。
This is a specific situation. So when you"re talking about a specific ability, to "be able to" is the correct choice.
这是特殊的情况。当你讨论特殊能力的时候，“be able to”才是正确的选择。
So, in these examples, we used different words to express ability in the past. It"s a little trickier, isn"t it?
在这些例子当中，我们使用不同的单词来表达过去的能力。有一点复杂，是吧？
But fortunately, the negative form is the same in general and specific situations in the past. It"s just "couldn"t".
但是幸运的是，描述过去的一般和特殊能力的否定形式是一致的。就是“couldn"t”。
She couldn"t read by the time she was five. She couldn"t read Little Red Riding Hood in front of the class.
她五岁的时候还不能阅读。她无法在全班面前读小红帽。
Note that when someone had the ability in the past, but they didn"t use it, we use a different structure.
We use "could" with "have" and the past participle form.
要注意的是，当有人在过去有某种能力的时候，但是他们并没有使用这种能力，我们要使用不同的结构。
我们要使用“could”加“have”再加过去分词的形式。
I could have helped you, but you didn"t ask me! We could have invited more people.
There are spare seats at the back!
我本来能够帮助你，但是你没有向我寻求帮助！
我们本来能够邀请更多的人的，后面还有空座呢！
Okay, let"s just pause for a moment and think about all of this new information that you"ve taken in.
I think we should probably practise expressing ability in the past tense just for a moment before we move on.
好的，让我们暂停一下，想一想你刚刚吸收的这些新信息。
我觉得在继续之前，我们可能需要稍微练习一下用过去时表示能力。
So, what you need to do is choose the correct word to complete the sentence.
Okay, choose the correct word.
你需要做的就是选择正确的单词完成句子。好的，选择正确的单词。
When my neighbour slipped down the stairs this morning, I. . . something help her. So, think about this situation.
当我的邻居今天早晨从楼梯滑下去的时候，我（）帮助她。好的，考虑一下这种情况。
Is it general, or is it specific? This is a specific situation in the past, isn"t it?
这是一般的，还是特殊的？这是过去的特殊能力，对吧？
We know when and exactly what was happening. So, "I was able to help her" is the correct choice.
我们知道什么时候，以及具体发生了什么。所以，“我能够帮助她”是正确的选择。
She (something) speak a little Japanese when she was younger. Is it general?
她年轻一点的时候，（）说一点日语。这是一般的能力吗？
Or, is it specific? It"s general.
还是特殊的能力？这是一般的能力。
So, "could" is the right choice. She could speak.
所以正确的选择是“could”。她能够说。
My brother (something) not start the car last night. Well, this is a negative sentence, isn"t it?
我哥哥昨晚（）发动车。这是个否定的句子，是吧？
We can see "not", so it must be "couldn"t". My brother couldn"t start the car last night.
我们可以看到这里有一个“not”，所以肯定是“couldn"t”。我哥哥昨晚上没法发动车。
Or he could not the car last night. He (something) offered to drop her home, but he was too tired.
或者他昨晚上发动不了车。他（）顺道把她送回家，但是他太累了。
Now, notice the form of the main verb here, that"s a clue because it"s not in the bare infinitive form. So, it must be "could have".
要注意这里的主动词的形式，那是一个线索，因为它不是不定式形式。
所以肯定是“could have”。
He could have offered to drop her home. My boss" phone was switched of all day today!
他本能够顺道把她送回家。我老板的电话今天一整天都关着！
Finally, I got through at around 5 pm and I. . . speak to her.
This is quite a specific situation, isn"t it?
最后呢，我终于在五点钟的时候打通了她的电话，然后（）和她说话。
这是个特殊的情况是吧？
So, "was able to" is the right answer. Okay, the last step now.
所以，“was able to”是正确的答案。好的，我们到了最后一步了。
We need to talk ability in the future, don"t we?
We still need to pay attention to those rules about general ability and specific ability.
我们需要讨论一下未来的能力，是吧？
我们还是需要关注一般能力和特殊能力的规则。
And it"s a little trickier because the rules are completely the opposite to the past tense. Thanks English.
这有一点点复杂，因为这些规则和过去时完全相反。谢谢你咯，英语大人。
So in the future, we use "will" and "won"t be able to" to talk about general abilities.
So we"re using "will" as the future tense and following "will", as with all modal verbs is the bare infinitive form every time.
所以在将来的话，我们会使用“will”和“won"t be able to”来讨论一般能力。
我们在将来时会使用“will”，而“will”的后面和其他的情态动词一样都要加动词不定式形式。
We don"t conjugate the verb following "will" here. It"s "will be" or "won"t be".
“will”后面的动词形式并不变化。不是“will be”就是“won"t be”。
If you arrive before 6 o" clock, you"ll be able to see the sunset.
Women who become members will be able to practise their English speaking skills.
如果你在六点钟之前到了的话，你可以看到日落。
成为会员的女性可以练习她们的英语口语技巧。
We use "can" and "can"t" to talk about specific abilities in the future.
I can look after your kids tomorrow night.
我们使用“can”和“can"t”来讨论未来的特殊能力。
我明晚可以照顾你的孩子。
But I can"t collect them from school because I don"t finish work until 5 o"clock.
So these are specific situations.
但是我不能去学校接他们，因为我五点才下班。
这都是特殊的情况。
Okay, a couple of questions to practise with just before we finish.
I (something) help you with your homework this afternoon.
好的，在我们结束之前，还有一些问题需要进行练习。
我今天下午（ ）你写作业。
That"s a specific situation, at a specific time. So in the future, we use "can".
那是个特殊的情况，在特殊的时间。所以在未来的时候，要使用“can”。
If you complete this course, you (something) apply for a new job. So this is quite general, really.
如果你完成了这个课程，你（）申请一个新的工作。这是非常一般的能力。
So "will be able to" is the correct choice. Well, that"s it!
所以“will be able to”是正确的选择。好了，就这么多啦！
But who would have thought that talking about ability in English could be so tricky.
I hope this lesson made it a little clearer for you and I really recommend that you write down a few of your own sentences on paper or in the comments under this video.
大家可能本来觉得用英语谈论能力非常的复杂。
我希望本节课程能够让你们觉得更加清晰一点，我非常推荐你自己造几个句子，写在纸上，或者是写在视频下面的评论区里面。
Then, go back to the start of this lesson and watch it again to check your answers and to make sure that the information sinks in.
Remember to practise using what you"ve learnt today.
然后回到课程的开始，回顾一遍，检查一下你的答案，确保这些信息你都消化了。
记住要用今天学到的知识进行练习。
Don"t just watch these lessons, use the English that I teach you.
Now if you want to keep practising, then check out this lesson up here.
不要只是“看”这些课程，要使用我教给你们的这些英语。
如果你想要继续练习的话，看一下这边的课程吧。
Oh, and the modal verbs lesson that talks about probability and possibility is right here.
So thanks for watching and I"ll see you again next week for a new lesson.
还有讨论可能性的情态动词的那节课程，就在这边。
感谢大家的观看，下周新课程见啦。
Bye for now!
再见！
