The verb 'can' and the verbal phrase 'be able' mean exactly the same thing

As we have often seen here, “tautology” is repetition in the same semantic breath of what one has already mentioned by a different word. On July 25, we read on page 2 of The Standard: “When people from two starkly different generations attend the same concert, there can only be two possible outcomes.”

No. Say either “There can be two outcomes” or “Two outcomes are possible” but not both in the same semantic brackets. For “can” and “are possible” mean exactly the same thing, so that, when you use both in the same semantic brackets, language experts will condemn you as a peddler of tautology.

To say can be able—as is common in Nairobi’s streets—is to tautologise, namely, to say the same thing twice in the same semantic breath. For, although the auxiliary verb can never takes the preposition “to” (as all infinitives must), it expresses the same meaning as the verb “to be possible”.

A verb is called auxiliary whenever it is used to help another verb to express a tense, a voice or a mood. In the sentence “You will go”, the verb will is auxiliary because it helps to give a time perspective—in this case, the future tense—to a conjugated form of the verb to go.

SAME THING

In the expression “can be possible”, then, how can the verb can and the verbal phrase be possible help each other in that way whereas the two mean exactly the same thing? As we recall, to use them so is to tautologise, that is, to say the same thing twice in the same brackets of meaning.

I can think of two solutions. The first is to omit the verb can and say simply: “Whenever people from two … different generations attend the same concert, only two outcomes are possible.” The other is to omit the verb “be possible” and say simply: “When people from two … generations attend the same concert, there can be two outcomes …”

Let me emphasise this. Please use either the verb can or the verb “be possible”, but not both in the same semantic environment because both “can” and “be possible” mean exactly the same thing. In Kenya’s streets and journalism, this problem dogs us also with regard to the verbs can and be able.

Nothing is more common than it among the English speakers in Nairobi’s streets and residential areas.

Through one of our daily English-language newspapers, I recently found the following words from a highly educated Kenyan: “I went to school so that I could be able to educate my younger siblings”. The sentiment is noble. But the language is disgusting.

“Can be able” won’t do because it is horribly tautological. No, you went to school “to be able to educate” your siblings or “to enable you to educate your siblings”.

Thus the verb can and the verbal phrase be able mean exactly the same thing. Use the one or the other, but not both, in the same semantic breath.

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