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For example, I want to say that I have done some task (in sense, that I was able to do it). It resembles a form like this, but I am not sure that it is correct:

Yes, I could have (do something)

In other words, I want to say "Yes, I can" in present perfect tense.

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    Yes, I have been able to?
    – Glorfindel
    Commented Aug 22, 2016 at 11:42
  • Can I do not specify type of action? for example: Have you solved task? Yes, I have been able. Commented Aug 22, 2016 at 11:46
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    The modal verbs like "can" do not have past participles, so they are unable to form the perfect tense. The perfect requires the perfect auxiliary "have" + past participle.
    – BillJ
    Commented Aug 22, 2016 at 11:49
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    As a workaround, you could say "Yes, I've been able to do x"
    – BillJ
    Commented Aug 22, 2016 at 11:59
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    You wouldn't normally use the perfect form I have been able to do X unless the end result of doing it had particular relevance to the time of speaking. For most contexts it's more likely you'd just say I was able to do it. We tend not to say I could do it with this exact sense, because it drags in unwanted ambiguities. Commented Aug 22, 2016 at 12:20

1 Answer 1

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Can is a modal, so it never really works by itself, even though it has could which is something like a "past tense" form.

Any time you see it in a sentence by itself there is really another verb following it that was omitted for brevity/conversational elision.

Can you teach English. Yes I can {teach English}.

So you have to use be able if you want to express that meaning of can in the perfect tense.

I've been able to teach English since last year.

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