If you want to modify a statement about someone’s ability, you often use be able to after a modal such as ‘may’ or ‘should’ You do not use ‘can’ or ‘could’ after another modal.. - We may[r]
(1)ENGLISH CONFUSABLE WORDS 17 back, rear The part of a building or a vehicle that is furthest from the front can be called either the back or the rear Rear is often used in technical descriptions For example, car manuals talk about the rear of a car - He decided to approach the house from the rear instead of going to the front door It is more usual to use back For example, in ordinary conversation people talk about back of a car, not the ‘rear’ - in the back of the dark cab, with the lights of the city streaking past - and Colonel von Tempelhofs at in the back Both words are also used as adjectives - There was a rear entrance into the post office - a suitcase on the back seat You use back to talk about the part of an object that is at the opposite end to the front You not use ‘rear’ - He pulled his cap down more warmly over his ears and the back of his head - Mimi had Carter held by the back ofhis trousers • Your back is the part ofyour body that is behind you, from your neck to your bottom • Your rear is your bottom; this is a humorous use bag, baggage, luggage Both British and American speakers can refer to everything that travellers carry as their bags American speakers can also call any individual suitcase or similar item a bag - ‘Let me carry those for you, ’ he said as I picked up the bags - She got out on the sidewalk and the porter took her bags - It was a fact that an airline passenger’s bag could not be counted on to arrive safely at Pine Bluff, Arkansas Speakers of British English normally use luggage when they are talking about everything that travellers carry However, they sometimes use baggage when they are talking about travelling in a technical way, for example when discussing airports or travel insurance - There are also coin-operated lockers in which you may leave luggage - If you lose any ofyour luggage, enquire at once at the Lost Property Office - Your baggage, clothing and personal effects are covered up to one thousand pounds In American English, luggage refers to empty bags and suitcases Baggage refers to bags and suitcases with theừ contents - He pulls in behind an Audi with a Paris license, takes out his baggage, and locks the car Note that there is no plural form of baggage or luggage Thẩm Tâm Vy, September 12th, 2020 bar, pub A bar is a place where you can buy alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks A bar can be part of a larger building such as a hotel or theatre, or in America it can be a separate building - He called for the menu and ordered in the bar while they were finishing their drinks - Willie paid for the drinks and they left the bar - He eventually selected a small bar calling itself the Pussycat Go-go A pub is a budding where you can buy alcoholic and non-alcoholic drỉnlcs Most pubs are in Britain and Ireland They often contain two or more bare and have an important role in the social life of the people nearby Pubs are rarely found in America - The Black Friar, lavishly appointed with Art Nouveau decoration,is the best pub of its kind in London - We all met in the pub during the lunch break Both pubs and bars have a counter where drinks are poured and this is also called a bar - He ordered a whisky and drained it standing at the bar briefly, shortly You use briefly to talk about things that happen for only a short period of time For example, if you see someone briefly, you not see them for very long If you stay somewhere briefly, you stay there just for a short time - The two men had met briefly once before - Duke proposed to stay there briefly to rest his troops If you explain something briefly, you use very few words or give ѵегy few details - She told them briefly what had happened - Stephanie wrote briefly and delicately to Mrs Orton, suggesting a visit You use shortly and not ‘briefly’ to say when something happens, if something happens shortly after something else, it happens soon after it - Shortly after the break I was driven back to the hotel - She died shortly afterwards - When I informed her we were shortly to sailfor New York, she looked distressed and bewildered You can also say that something happens shortly before something else This is a slightly old-fashioned use - It happened shortly before my seventeenth birthday • If you speak shortly to someone, you speak in an impatient or slightly angry way - ‘Good-bye, and thanks!' said Miss Jackson somewhat shortly, pushing open the wet gate - Naturally,’ I said shortly - We will shortly be arriving in King's Cross Station - Shortly after you left, a man came into the office looking for you ENGLISH CONFUSABLE WORDS 17 DeThi.edu.vn (2) bus, coach In British English, a bus is a large vehicle which takes passengers on journeys in a town or city, or to towns or villages not far away Buses can have either one or two floors or ‘decks’ - They stop at ‘bus stops’ - You can take the Victoria line to Walthamstow and walk or catch a bus to the door - I’т waitingfor the bus back to town In British English, a coach is a comfortable bus which takes passengers on long journeys between towns and cities, either as a regular route, or as a special journey for a school or a group of holidaymakers - You may be able to travel by coach from Victoria Coach Station - various excursions, including coach trips and day trips to nearby Turkey In American English, both types of vehicle are referred to as buses - Each day plain-clothes men rode the buses and subways - ruling effortlessly over the plain in a Greyhound bus Other Words In informal British English, a bus with two decks is called a double-decker bus or a double-decker - the large number of double-decker London Transport buses can, could, be able to Can, could and be able to are all used to talk about a person’s a ffity to something They are followed by the infinitive form of a verb You use can or a present form of able to to talk about ability in the present Can is more common, especially in speech - You can all read and write - I’m no writer but I can draft a lecture or a report that’s reasonably lucid - The rattlesnake is able to detect the presence of a small ground squirrel You use could or a past form of be able to to talk about ability in the past - He could run faster than anyone else - He was able to answer a few questions You use be able to and not ‘could’ to say that someone managed to something at a particular time - After treatment he was able to return to work - Dr Brancale had been able to get to Boston only late the night before You use ‘will’ or ‘shall’ with be able to to talk about ability in the future - He will be able to provide accurate, detailed information for you - One day, perhaps I’ll be able to explain If you want to modify a statement about someone’s ability, you often use be able to after a modal such as ‘may’ or ‘should’ You not use ‘can’ or ‘could’ after another modal - We may be able to save him - A man in good health should be able to go without external oxygen for at least a minute Thẩm Tâm Vy, September 12th, 2020 - I might be able to help you - You would not be able to drive to inland cities alone here After verbs such as ‘want’, ’hope’, or ‘expect’ which must be followed by a ‘to’infmitive, you use be able to and not ‘can’ or ‘could’ - I hope to be able to have wonderful touring holidays - You’re foolish to expect to be able to that - As a driver you have to be able to drive, obviously Can and could are also used to talk about possibility You not use ‘be able to’ in this way - You use could when you are saying that something is possible on a particular occasion - Don’t eat it It could be a toadstool - 300,000 jobs could be lost You use can when you are saying that, in general, something is possible • Such shifts in opinion can sometimes have a snowball effect - Too much salt can be harmful to a young baby - The press tell me he can appear insecure when dealing with them To talk about possibility in the past, you use could have followed by a past participle - It could have been worse - He could have been doing research on his own Can is also used to talk about what is allowed by rules, or what someone is willing to let another person When you are referring to what was allowed in the past, you use could rather than ‘can’ - No student can be admitted to a first degree until he has completed full-time attendance for at least three university sessions - They can leave at any time - We could go to any part of the island we wanted Can and could are often used for asking permission or for making requests - Can I take out a card please? - Could we put thisfire on? - Can you send me three new men out there right now? - Could I speak to Mr Davis, please? - Excuse me, could I just say something? Could, but not ‘can’, is used for making suggestions - You could phone her and ask - ‘Well, what shall we do?’—‘You could try Ebury Street.’ ENGLISH CONFUSABLE WORDS 17 DeThi.edu.vn (3)