Do or Can?

Question

I have two sentences and I dont know what to use. Please help  1) I dont know if there is going to be Can or Do. The sentence is - There is Richard. Do/Can you see him? 2) There is weird smell. Do/Can you smell it? Please help  Thanks

Rover_KE · Accepted Answer

Already answered in Using English. [https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/279224-Do-or-can

CalifJim · Answer

shadowkui
1) There is Richard. Can you see him?
2) There is a weird smell. Can you smell it?

With many non-progressive verbs, especially verbs of perception (see, hear, feel, taste, smell), "can" is used instead of "do" to give the effect of the continuous tense (which is not used).

So we don't use "Are you seeing him?" (in example 1). Instead, we say "Can you see him?"
And we don't use "Are you smelling it?" (in example 2). Instead, we say "Can you smell it?"

For the habitual aspect, we use "do", not "can":
Do you see the same commercials on TV every day?

CJ

Do or Can?

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