You can kill vs You’ll be able to kill

[MichaelLu2000]

Example 1
“The bear is tough but not bulletproof. You can kill it if someone gives you a rifle.”

Example 2
“The bear is tough but not bulletproof. You can kill it if you use a rifle.”

I think in terms of the meaning “able to” in the contexts above the “can” in the first sentence should be replaced with “will be able to” while the second sounds fine with “can.”

Noted: I am not talking about the meaning of “permission” of can here.

Is it because the first one emphasizes the fact that the other person will gain the ability to kill the bear if he gets a rifle while the second one sounds like he already has the ability to do so, but he needs to complete the condition in the if clause to utilize the existing ability? (He needs to use a proper weapon to do so, a rifle.)

Can someone explain?

 

[emsr2d2]

Before we continue, please use the Edit facility to add all four closing punctuation marks you omitted.

 

[MichaelLu2000]

Before we continue, please use the Edit facility to add all four closing punctuation marks you omitted.

I’ve edited it.

 

[jutfrank]

You're asking for our interpretations?

Example 1 doesn't sound like a good example to me. I think I'd at least need more context to be sure of what it means. As you rightly say, if you replace 'can' with 'will be able to', it works much better to say 'gain the ability'. In this case, ability is power. Upon receiving the holy lance, you will gain the power to slay the beast.

As for my initial interpretation of Example 2, it sounds like the speaker is recommending a method to kill the beast. I think that's what you too are saying, right?

Remember that 'will be able to' is always clearer than 'can' in expressing ability because that's pretty much the only thing it can mean.

 

[MichaelLu2000]

You're asking for our interpretations?

Example 1 doesn't sound like a good example to me. I think I'd at least need more context to be sure of what it means. As you rightly say, if you replace 'can' with 'will be able to', it works much better to say 'gain the ability'. In this case, ability is power. Upon receiving the holy lance, you will gain the power to slay the beast.

As for my initial interpretation of Example 2, it sounds like the speaker is recommending a method to kill the beast. I think that's what you too are saying, right?

Remember that 'will be able to' is always clearer than 'can' in expressing ability because that's pretty much the only thing it can mean.

So you mean the second one should use “will be able to” too?

 

[jutfrank]

So you mean the second one should use “will be able to” too?

No, I mean the second one is fine with 'can' if understood that the locutionary force of 'can' here is something like a suggestion or an invitation to do something. The gun then is just the recommended way of doing it.

Imagine someone offering their seat to another:

You can sit here if you like. I'm leaving anyway.

That's the kind of 'can' I'm talking about.

 

[MichaelLu2000]

No, I mean the second one is fine with 'can' if understood that the locutionary force of 'can' here is something like a suggestion or an invitation. The gun then is just the recommended way of doing it.

Imagine someone offering their seat to another:

You can sit here if you like. I'm leaving anyway.

That's the kind of 'can' I'm talking about.

Ah I see what you mean. Yes, that sounds like a good explanation of using “can” to recommend doing something. And I think there are two different ways to use it to recommend things.

can+preferable result after the completion of conditions
can+actions recommend

E.g
You can change the world if you work with me. ( Action suggested doing: work with me Preferable result: can+change the world)
You can ask him if he comes to the party (Action suggested doing: can+ask him)

Do you agree with this anglysis?

 

[jutfrank]

Can you give another example of 'can+preferable result after the completion of conditions'?

I've noticed that nearly all of your questions concern 'can' as used with if-structures and I wonder why. Are these uses of 'can' that you're attempting to outline dependent or independent of conditionality?