Good afternoon. English is not my first language so I was wondering what's the difference between "can" and "be able to."

I can play football vs. I am able to play football

English is a very weird language.

>>937405110 (OP)
All the faith he had had had had no effect on the outcome of his life. That is a grammatically correct sentence. Enjoy learning English lmao

>>937405110 (OP)
One is a small sealed metal container. The other is a verb.

>>937405550
Lol. It's awesome.

>>937405110 (OP)
English is certainly a weird language.

"Can" and "able to" in this context essentially mean the same thing, however "able to" is more descriptive. They both convey the same message - "I have the capacity to play football."

Technically speaking, "I am able to play football" is more correct than "I can play football." The difference is not worth worrying too much about, but saying "I can play football" could be construed to mean "I understand how to play football, and I am capable of playing it." "I am able to play football" on the other hand would be closer to "I have time and a desire to play football."

No one will say "I can play football" is wrong, but an English nerd might push his glasses up at that just because he thinks he is superior.

I would say "I can play football" 99 times out of 100 because it is more natural to me.

>>937405550
Double past perfect tense, nice.
Guys in my English class were confused when they saw "had had" in a sentence, now I see it can get even more bizarre.

>>937405110 (OP)
When it comes to tenses other than present simple, there might be only one option to use. For example, in future simple tense it's correct to say "I will be able to do it", not "I will can do it". The latter is grammatically wrong. The same applies for present perfect, for example "He's been able to do it".

Nig niggers nog nig niggers

>>937405878
Interesting. We are talking about physical abilities but how about opportunities?

I wasn't able to go to the game vs. I couldn't go to the game

Is it the same shit

>>937405550
>>937405878
Any good online resources for learning English? Would like to learn more around syntax and grammar

>>937406406
I'm not the person you replied to, but i guess that "I wasn't able to go to the game" is solely about physical capability, whereas "I couldn't go to the game" is a broader phrase and can imply either lack of physical capability (unlikely) or lack of opportunity

>>937406743
Okay. "I wasn't able to go to the game, my fucking knee was acting out again"

"I couldn't go to the game because my old man wanted me to pick him up at the airport."

>>937405695
>>937405998
This one even hurt my brain.

>>937407837
Made me laugh, tbh

"I can play football." and "I am able to play football." have the same meaning. No one talks like the second way though. While not wrong uses more words, sounds robotic, and simply is not how most speak.

"Able to" and "can" mean the same thing. "Can" is more commonly used and could also be talking about a type of object depending on the circumstances.
Pretty much no one says "be able to" unless they are saying "Would you be able to". Saying "Would you be able to" is seen as a bit more formal and odd due uncommon usage than saying "Can you" or "Could you".