Past simple, present perfect and modal verb can
Two phrases from classbook. They mean the same thing.
1. I'm cerain Andrew didn't reveal your secret.
2. Andrew can't have revealed your secret.
So in phrase 1, without modal verb, we see past simple(didn't revealed) right? And in phrase 2, past simple became present perfect(have revealed). Why it's happening? Why we can't keep same tense, for example past simple in both phrases - "Andrew can't revealed your secret." It's some grammar rule for tense transformation with modal verbs or what? Can you explain it to me please?
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Past simple, present perfect and modal verb can
Two phrases from classbook. They mean the same thing.1. I'm certain Andrew didn't reveal your secret.
2. Andrew can't have revealed your secret.
So in phrase 1, without modal verb, we see past simple(didn't revealed) right? And in phrase 2, past simple became present perfect(have revealed). Why it's happening? Why we can't keep same tense, for example past simple in both phrases - "Andrew can't revealed your secret." It's some grammar rule for tense transformation with modal verbs or what? Can you explain it to me please?
"Can" - это модальный глагол, после него можно употреблять только инфинитив без частицы "to". "Have revealed" во втором предложении - это перфектный инфинитив. Чтобы выразить возможность или вероятность действия в прошедшем времени, употребляется can/could + have + V3 (глагол в третьей форме). Во втором предложении выражается неверие в возможность действия, использование "can" указывает на категоричность, в отличии от глагола "could", который более нейтрален. Перевод - Эндрю не мог разоблачить твой секрет (Я не верю в это).
Можно с "could": Andrew couldn't have revealed your secret.
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