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Latest post Tue, May 15 2007 5:00 PM by Tidus. 5 replies.
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Anonymous  +  364827 Mon, 14 May 07 07:09 PM

Guys,

Got into a heated discussion today on the meanings on "can" and "be able to".
As far as I'm concerned, there isn't much difference between these things - as dictionaries bring. However, someone asked a tricky question that got me confused...

How would you distinguish "having ability or permission" from "having competence for".

If I say, for example: "I wasn't able to arrive on time last night" e "I couldn't arrive on time last night", is there a difference? Would you say one conveys the meaning of "impossibility" while the other means "I wasn't competent enough to get there" - maybe the road wasn't good, I had no map or I got lost...? Help me out!!!

Or "I can't play tennis" and "I'm not able to play tennis". (as if in the 1st case the person does not have talent for it, while in the second he isn't able cause he's never tried???) Geez, I'm confused!

I never thought there was a difference, but now I've got my brain "twisted"!

Thanks for your help, y'all!
Anonymous
Grammar Geek  +  364836 Mon, 14 May 07 07:28 PM

Hi -

I don't really see a difference in 95% of the times you'd use them, and if you did need to emphasize some aspect of being physically prevented versus lacking the innate ability, you can add supporting words.

Because I have a broken ankle and a stick shift, I couldn't drive there last night.
Because I had a panic attack, I couldn't drive there last night.
Because the streets were flooded, I couldn't drive there last night.
Because there was a curfiew, I couldn't drive there last night.

I think all of these could be replaced by "wasn't able to," don't you?
Grammar Geek
Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006
Veteran Member 19,676
Barbara, who answers in American English. My housekeeping skills attest to the truth of the second law of thermodynamics: Left to themselves, things get more and more random!
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Anonymous, 2 yr 194 days ago

Yeah, in fact I can't see any difference at all either. But my students just got so passionate about the fact that "there must be a clear difference", that they made me wonder.

That happened cause this difference does exist in Portuguese, our native language.

Let's see what other linguists have to say... Thanks!

Marius Hancu  +  365186 Tue, 15 May 07 02:14 PM
Pick some of these threads for more commentary:

http://www.englishforums.com/search/can+be+able.htm
Marius Hancu
Joined on Wed, Apr 26 2006
Veteran Member 11,673
Philip  +  365241 Tue, 15 May 07 03:43 PM
 Anonymous wrote:

Yeah, in fact I can't see any difference at all either. But my students just got so passionate about the fact that "there must be a clear difference", that they made me wonder.

That happened cause this difference does exist in Portuguese, our native language.

Let's see what other linguists have to say... Thanks!

Are they thinking, perhaps, about the perennial confusion of can vs may, which may have been taught by a previous teacher? 
Philip
Joined on Thu, Jun 23 2005
Veteran Member 8,738
At reise er at leve! - H. C. Andersen
Tidus  +  365285 Tue, 15 May 07 05:00 PM

How would you distinguish "having ability or permission" from "having competence for".

Having ability and having competence both mean the same thing.  Having permission is unrelated because it means being allowed to do something regardless of whether or not you have the ability/competence.  So, whilst you may have permission to play a game, you might not know how to play it - ie you lack the ability/competence.  Although, you may only have permission to do something because you have the ability ie I have permission to go swimming because I can swim ie you have the ability to swim.

If I say, for example: "I wasn't able to arrive on time last night" e "I couldn't arrive on time last night", is there a difference? Would you say one conveys the meaning of "impossibility" while the other means "I wasn't competent enough to get there" - maybe the road wasn't good, I had no map or I got lost...? Help me out!!!

Both mean the same in this context of timing.  There will be a reason that you didn't get there on time last night, so whether you explain that by saying "wasn't able to", or "couldn't" doesn't really matter.

Or "I can't play tennis" and "I'm not able to play tennis". (as if in the 1st case the person does not have talent for it, while in the second he isn't able cause he's never tried???) Geez, I'm confused!

In this context, it depends on what follows.  The statement "I can't play tennis" on its own, means that you do not have the ability to play tennis.  However, if you said "I can't play tennis because I need to go to work", means that you do have the ability to play tennis, but you need to go to work instead.

Does this help?
Tidus
Joined on Mon, Nov 27 2006
England
Full Member 372
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