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Can you play Scrabble? Can and can't for hobbies

An A1 ESL lesson plan on can and can't for hobbies, from playing chess to collecting stamps.

Grammar
Can and can't for ability, the same for every person (She can dance.), yes/no questions with short answers (Can you draw? No, I can't.), and telling can from can't by ear.
Topic
Hobbies and board games, with a free Scrabble night at a Brooklyn library on National Scrabble Day and words such as chess, puzzle, guitar and collect.
Activities
A game night poster to read, two roommates' Scrabble game to listen to, self-checking drills with a yes-and-no table, a chat, a who-can-do-it spin wheel and a post to write.

What's inside

  1. Chapter 1Hello, hobbies!

    • PictureUnlock
    • Open a box and answerOpen the boxUnlock
    • Study the new wordsVocabularyTry it
    • Look at the pictures and chooseChoose by pictureUnlock

  2. Chapter 2Let's read: game night!

    • Look at the photo: game nightPictureUnlock
    • Read the posterReal-life documentTry it
    • Read and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Read again and choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  3. Chapter 3Let's listen: Scrabble in the kitchen

    • Listen to Olivia and KofiListeningTry it
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock

  4. Chapter 4Grammar: I can, I can't

    • Study the scheme: can and can'tGrammar schemeTry it
    • Choose the right optionChoose the optionUnlock
    • Fill in the gaps: ✅ can or ❌ can't + the verbFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Fill in the table: Yes, I can. / No, I can't.Fill in the tableTry it
    • Drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
    • Choose the right sentenceQuizUnlock

  5. Chapter 5Let's talk: who can do it?

    • Choose the right replies: game nightChatTry it
    • Spin the wheel and ask: who can do it?Spin the wheelUnlock

  6. Chapter 6Homework

    • Put the words in the right orderUnjumbleUnlock
    • Sort the hobbiesSort into columnsUnlock
    • Write a post: my hobbiesWriting, checked by the teacherUnlock
    • Record a voice message: what can you do?Speaking, checked by the teacherUnlock

23 exercises in 6 chapters. Start a 7-day free trial to open all of them, copy any part into your own lessons, and teach the lesson live.

Hobbies vocabulary

10 words and phrases from the lesson, each with a picture and audio in edio.

+7 more with pictures and audio in the lessonMore words

  • puzzle
  • guitar
  • piano
  • video game
  • sing
  • draw
  • collect

Grammar: can and can't for ability

Hobbies give beginners a real need to say what they can and can't do, and a game night gives them a reason to ask: Can you play Scrabble? Learners use one form of can for every person, ask questions without do, and answer with Yes, I can or No, I can't.

I can, I can't

Can you play Scrabble? – Yes, I can. / No, I can't.

Can and can't: one form for every person

Can stays the same whoever does the action: I can draw, she can dance, they can take photos. The verb after it is bare: no to, no -s, no -ing. Can't is short for cannot.

can / can't + verb

Who?✅ can❌ can't
II can draw.I can't draw.
youYou can sing.You can't sing.
heHe can cook.He can't cook.
sheShe can dance.She can't dance.
itIt can talk. 🦜It can't draw. 🦜
weWe can play chess.We can't play chess.
theyThey can take photos.They can't take photos.

Remember

  • can is the same for every person: I can, he can, she can (not cans).
  • After can: the verb with no to, no -s, no -ing. She can draw (not can to draw, can draws, can drawing).
  • can't = cannot: I can't sing.

Can you…? Yes, I can. No, I can't.

Questions put can before the person, with no do: Can he play chess? Short answers end on the verb, Yes, he can or No, he can't, and the table covers every person, a parrot included.

Question✅ Yes❌ No
Can you draw?Yes, I can.No, I can't.
Can he play chess?Yes, he can.No, he can't.
Can she sing?Yes, she can.No, she can't.
Can your parrot talk?Yes, it can.No, it can't.
Can you and your friend dance?Yes, we can.No, we can't.
Can they cook?Yes, they can.No, they can't.

Hobbies that follow can

The scheme's hobbies are ready-made verb phrases that slot in after can: play chess, play the piano, do puzzles, collect stamps, take photos. Games take play; instruments take play the.

  • play chess
  • play board games
  • play video games
  • play the guitar
  • play the piano
  • do puzzles
  • draw
  • paint
  • collect stamps
  • read books
  • sing
  • take photos

Can or can't? Listen for the stress

In a sentence, can is short and quiet, close to kn: I can draw. Can't is long and stressed: I CAN'T draw. In a short answer, can is strong too: Yes, I CAN!

Say it: can or can't?

In a sentence, can is short and quiet: I can draw = "I kn draw". can't is long and strong: I CAN'T draw. In short answers, can is strong too: Yes, I CAN!

Common mistakes

  • I can to dance.

    I can dance.

    no to after can

  • She cans draw.

    She can draw.

    no -s: he can, she can

  • Do you can play chess?

    Can you play chess?

    no do: Can you…?

  • I don't can sing.

    I can't sing.

    not don't can: can't

More lessons on this grammar: Modal verbs lessons and exercises

Try the can and can't exercises

Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.

More exercises

What's in the lesson

  • 11 auto-checked exercises
  • 3 games
  • 2 teacher-checked tasks
  • 1 real-life document
  • 1 grammar scheme
  • 1 set of word cards
  • 1 audio clip
  • 2 pictures
  • 1 transcript

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

  • say what they can and can't do, with one form for every person: I can draw. Kofi can't sing.
  • ask about abilities and give a short answer: Can you play chess? No, I can't.
  • talk about hobbies such as play the guitar, do puzzles and collect stamps
  • hear and say the difference between a short, quiet can and a long, strong can't
  • read an event poster for its day, time and price: Tuesday, April 13, 6–8 p.m., free

Lesson 29 opens Free time, the last unit of English A1.1 · Hello, World. It builds on the present simple questions and short answers from lesson 18 (Do you like…? Yes, I do.), and lesson 32 reviews can and can't with the rest of the unit. A game night gives the grammar a real job: before the first move, someone asks Can you play Scrabble?

Students open boxes of questions about their hobbies, then learn ten words, from board game to collect, with pictures and audio. They read the library's game night poster, with Alfred Butts's story and the tile scores, and answer true-or-false and multiple-choice questions. Next, they listen to Olivia and Kofi (an AI-voiced dialogue) and mark what each of them can do. The grammar chapter has the scheme and five exercises, from choosing the right option to a yes-and-no table for every person and a drag-and-drop of verbs, each checked as students answer. In the speaking chapter, they chat with Olivia about game night and spin a wheel of who-can-do-it questions.

Homework starts with two self-checking tasks, putting words in order and sorting hobbies into music, games and art. Students then write a short post for the library's game night page and record a voice message about what they can and can't do, and the teacher reads and listens to both.

Grammar:
can / can't · Can you…? Yes, I can. / No, I can't. · hobbies
Topic:
Scrabble · board games · word games · hobbies · free time · National Scrabble Day

Teaching tips

  • Model can and can't with your own hobbies: I can draw, I can't sing. Say can short and can't long, and let students tell you which one they heard.
  • Put Can you…? next to Do you like…? on the board. Students know the second from the food unit, and seeing both together heads off Do you can…?
  • Run the spin wheel as a survey: each student asks three classmates, then reports one thing someone can do and one thing someone can't.
  • After the chat with Olivia, have pairs write their own game night invitation with two Can you…? questions; it doubles as a draft for the homework post.

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The whole course: English A1.1 · Hello, World

32 lessons for complete beginners in simple American English, from the verb to be to can and can't. Eight units cover greetings, family, numbers, home, food, daily routines, the town and free time, and each ends with a review lesson. Pictures and definitions replace translations, and the practice exercises check themselves.See the course

  1. Unit 1 Hello!

    greetings, the verb to be, countries and nationalities, yes/no questions

    1. Lesson 1Hi, hey, howdy or aloha?The verb to be with I and you
    2. Lesson 2Ellis Island: where are they from?He's, she's, they're: the verb to be
    3. Lesson 3Six languages at the UNYes/no questions with be and short answers
    4. Lesson 4Review: hello from the Statue of LibertyThe verb to be and yes/no questions, reviewed

  2. Unit 2 My people

    family members, possessive adjectives, have got, describing people

    1. Lesson 5Why is Mother's Day in May?Possessive adjectives: my, your, his, her
    2. Lesson 6Best in show!Have got and the possessive 's
    3. Lesson 7National Best Friends DaySubject pronouns, possessives and describing people
    4. Lesson 8Review: Bobbie the Wonder DogPossessives, have got and 's, reviewed

  3. Unit 3 Numbers all around

    numbers and dates, a/an and plurals, phone numbers and prices

    1. Lesson 9Why is March 14 Pi Day?Numbers 0 to 100, decimals and US dates
    2. Lesson 10How old is the General Sherman tree?A, an and plurals, with big numbers and How old…?
    3. Lesson 119-1-1 and other numbers to knowSaying phone numbers, emails and prices
    4. Lesson 12Review: 102 floors and 1,860 stepsNumbers, dates, ages and prices, reviewed

  4. Unit 4 Home sweet home

    rooms in a house, this, that, these and those, furniture, opposites

    1. Lesson 13A house with 132 roomsThis is, these are and plurals
    2. Lesson 14Boston's skinny house: where's the bed?This, that, these, those and Where's…?
    3. Lesson 15Can a dorm room be cozy?Opposite adjectives and have got
    4. Lesson 16Review: homes for everyoneShowing and describing a home, reviewed

  5. Unit 5 Food I love

    likes and dislikes, present simple questions, ordering food

    1. Lesson 17Pancakes for breakfast?I like, I don't like and plural nouns
    2. Lesson 18New York pizza or Chicago deep-dish?Present simple questions and short answers
    3. Lesson 19A coffee to go, please!Ordering food with I'd like and Can I have…?
    4. Lesson 20Review: lunch from a food truckI like, Do you like and I'd like, reviewed

  6. Unit 6 My day

    telling the time, daily routines, days of the week, prepositions of time

    1. Lesson 21What time is it in Times Square?Telling the time and daily routines
    2. Lesson 22Who brings the mail?The present simple with we and they
    3. Lesson 23Is it morning in Hawaii?Prepositions of time with parts of the day
    4. Lesson 24Review: a New York morningTime, routines and days, reviewed

  7. Unit 7 My town

    places in town, prepositions of place, giving directions

    1. Lesson 25Main Street, USAPrepositions of place: near and next to
    2. Lesson 26Meet me at Union SquarePresent simple questions and negatives with we and they
    3. Lesson 27Turn left on 42nd StreetImperatives for giving directions
    4. Lesson 28Review: streets for peoplePlaces, the present simple and directions, reviewed

  8. Unit 8 Free time

    hobbies, can and can't, sports, making plans

    1. Lesson 29 · you're hereCan you play Scrabble?Can and can't for ability
    2. Lesson 30Can you surf?Can for ability and how well
    3. Lesson 31Saturday morning: Little LeagueFree time and making plans
    4. Lesson 32Review: a book for every childCan, can't and free time, reviewed

Questions about this lesson

How do you use can and can't in English?
Use can or can't plus a base verb to talk about ability. I can draw. My dad can't cook. We can play chess. Can is the same for every person, and the verb after it has no to and no -s; can't is short for cannot. The A1 lesson Can you play Scrabble? on edio.ai practices it with hobbies and a library game night.
How do you ask and answer questions with can?
Put can first, then the person, then the verb, and reply with a short answer, Yes, I can or No, I can't. Can you play the piano? Yes, I can. Can your sister sing? No, she can't. The question needs no do, and the answer swaps in a pronoun: your dad becomes he, your phone becomes it, and you and your friend becomes we.
How do you pronounce can and can't?
Inside a sentence, can is weak and can't is stressed, so stress tells you which one you hear. I can draw sounds close to I kn draw, while I CAN'T draw keeps a full, long vowel. Short answers work differently, because the last word is strong either way: Yes, I CAN. No, I CAN'T.
Is it "she can draw" or "she cans draw"?
She can draw is correct, because can never adds -s. The verb after it stays plain as well, so she can draws is wrong too. Nothing goes between can and its verb either: He can cook, not He can to cook or He can cooking. One form fits everyone, from I to they.
Is it "Do you can play chess?" or "Can you play chess?"
Can you play chess? is the right question, because can makes questions and negatives without do. So it's I can't sing, not I don't can sing. The slip often comes from Do you like…?, and putting the two side by side helps: Do you like chess? Yes, I do. Can you play chess? Yes, I can.
How do you talk about hobbies in English?
Start with My favorite hobby is…, then use can and can't for what you're able to do: My favorite hobby is chess. I can play the guitar, but I can't sing. For habits, use the present simple instead: I collect stamps. I do puzzles on Saturdays. To ask someone, try What's your favorite hobby? or Can you play video games?
What hobbies vocabulary do beginners learn?
Short verb phrases for everyday hobbies are the most useful, since each one fits straight after can: play chess, play board games, play video games, play the guitar, play the piano, draw, paint, sing, read books, take photos, do puzzles and collect stamps. Grouping them into music, games and art makes the list easier to remember.
How do I teach can and can't to beginners?
Start with true sentences about people in the room, such as I can cook, but I can't dance, and move to questions once the meaning is clear. In Can you play Scrabble?, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, students meet can on a game night poster and in a game of Scrabble, then drill short answers for every person and end with a spin wheel of Can you…? questions.
What's a good game for practicing can and can't?
Try a dare game: answer Yes, I can, then prove it. One student asks Can you draw a cat? or Can you spell your name in English?, and a yes means doing it on the spot, while a no needs No, I can't. The spin wheel in Can you play Scrabble? on edio.ai plays this way, and one prompt has the class report back: Who can play chess? Who can't sing?
How do you practice can and can't one-to-one?
Take turns asking each other Can you…? questions, so the student practices asking as well as answering. Real hobbies keep it personal: Can you play the piano? Can you cook? With Can you play Scrabble? on edio.ai, the student answers a game night invitation in the chat alone, and on the spin wheel the teacher plays the classmate.
What's good homework for practicing can and can't?
Writing and saying what you can and can't do makes good homework: I can play chess, but I can't draw. A voice message adds the sound, with can said short and can't said long. For Can you play Scrabble? on edio.ai, students write a post for a library game night page and send a friend that message, after two self-checking games: sentences to put in order and hobbies to sort.
Are there interactive exercises for can and can't?
Yes: self-checking tables and chats let learners practice can and can't and see at once what's right. Four parts of the A1 lesson Can you play Scrabble? play on its edio.ai page with no account: a game night poster, a listening of two roommates playing Scrabble, a table of short answers such as No, he can't, and a game night chat. The drag-and-drop, spin wheel and homework open with an account.
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