Can, can’t – ability, possibility, permission

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  • Exercises: 1 2 3

    Can, can’t – ability, possibility, permission

    Exercise 2

    Write affirmative (+) and negative (-) sentences using can, can’t with the words below.

    1 She / dance / very well. ⇒ She .  (+)

    2 I / finish / the composition for tomorrow. ⇒ I for tomorrow.  (-)

    3 You / park / your car here. ⇒ You here.  (-)

    4 Jim / come / to the concert with us. ⇒ Jim with us.  (+)

    5 She / meet / you at 7. ⇒ She .  (-)

    6 You / use / this app to view documents. ⇒ You to view documents.   (+)

    7 We / lose / this match. ⇒ We .  (-)

    8 They / understand / my decision. ⇒ They .  (-)

    9 She / stay / at my house tonight. ⇒ She tonight.  (+)

    10 You / see / the sea from the balcony. ⇒ You from the balcony.  (-)


     

    Exercises: 1 2 3

  • Can, can’t – Grammar chart

    Grammar chart displaying the form and use of modal verbs 'can' and 'can't' for expressing ability, permission, and possibility, with correct and incorrect example sentences.

    Download full-size image from Pinterest

    Can, can’t – Form

    Infinitive without to

    We use can + infinitive without to.

    • I can swim. blank
    • I can to swim. blank
    • We can’t come. blank
    • We can’t to come. blank

    Don’t use -s after he/she/it

    We don’t add -s after he/she/it. We use can for all persons.

    • He can swim. blank
    • He cans swim. blank

    Don’t use do/don’t

    Can is an auxiliary verb and has a negative and interrogative form. We don’t use do/don’t to make questions and negatives.

    • Can you swim? blank
    • Do you can swim? blank
    • He can’t swim. blank
    • He don’t can swim. blank

    Can, can’t – Use

    Ability

    We use can/can’t to talk about ability in the present (=things that we know how to do).

    • Laura can sing very well. 
    • I can’t speak German. 

    Possibility

    We use can/can’t to ask for permission or to say if something is possible or not.

    • Can I sit here?
    • You can’t vote if you aren’t 18 years old. 
    • I’m sorry, but I can’t come to the party. 

    Ask for something

    We use can/can’t to ask for something and to order in bars, restaurants, shops, etc.

    • Can you lend me some money?
    • Can I have some water, please?
    • Can I have a burger and a soda?

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