Can and can't: I can swim – can and can't exercises for skills, permission and help
About this lesson
This A1 drill lesson gives can and can't exercises for skills, permission and requests, with questions, short answers and how well someone does something.
- Grammar
- Can / can't (cannot) + base verb for every person, Yes, I can. / No, I can't., Can I…? or Can you…?, and well, very well, a little after the verb.
- Topic
- Summer jobs: an invented Jersey Shore beach club's job ad, Noah's lifeguard application and interview, Jasmine's message to her mom, and a chat with the manager.
- Activities
- True or false, sorting, choices, gap-fills, drag-and-drop, matching, word order, mistake quizzes, tables, situation questions, a chat and a test, all corrected automatically.
What's inside
Chapter 1The rule
Chapter 2Can or can't?
- Choose can or can'tChoose the optionTry it
- Fill in the gaps: what can they do?Fill in the gapsUnlock
- Drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Match the beginnings and the endingsMatchUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: how well?UnjumbleUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right wordsQuizUnlock
- Read about the talent show and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 3Questions and short answers
- Write the questionsFill in the gapsTry it
- Choose the right short answerChoose the optionUnlock
- Put the words in order to make questionsUnjumbleUnlock
- Match the questions and the answersMatchUnlock
- Fill in the table: positive, negative, questionFill in the tableUnlock
- Write the short answersFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right question for each answerQuizUnlock
Chapter 4Can I…? Can you…?
- Choose Can I or Can youChoose the optionUnlock
- Match the requests and the repliesMatchTry it
- Read the dialogue at the café and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
- Write the questions: Can I…? or Can you…?Fill in the gapsUnlock
- Read the rules at the pool and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Choose the right words for each situationQuizUnlock
Chapter 5Real life: Summer jobs
- Read the job adReal-life documentUnlock
- Read the ad again: true or false?True or falseUnlock
- Read Noah's application and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
- Read Noah's interview with Ms. Walsh and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Jasmine's message to her mom and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Choose the right replies: Ms. Walsh texts youChatTry it
- Test yourself: choose the right answerQuizUnlock
Chapter 6Homework
- Choose the right form: at summer campChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: a family of talentsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Felix's message and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: sentences with canUnjumbleUnlock
- Sort the sentences: correct or wrong?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Match the questions and the short answersMatchUnlock
- Fill in the table: questions and short answersFill in the tableUnlock
- Write the questions for the answersFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right short answer: plans for a partyChoose the optionUnlock
- Choose the correct sentenceQuizUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: questionsUnjumbleUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: ask for help or permissionFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Ruby's email from camp and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read the notice at the library and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Read Tina's post about her puppy and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
Grammar: can and can't for ability, permission and requests
Can has one form for everybody: I can cook, she can cook, they can cook. It needs no do in negatives or questions, and the verb after it is always the base form. The lesson uses it for skills, permission, requests and what is possible.
Can and can't: I can swim
Say what people can or can't do, ask if something is OK, and ask for help: can / can't + verb.
Can / can't + base verb
The subject, then can or can't, then the base verb: She can't drive. They can speak Spanish. The full negative is cannot, written as one word. No -s and no to: never She cans skate or I can to dance.
can / can't + base verb
subjectcan / can't (cannot)base verb
I can cook.
She can't drive.
They can speak Spanish.
Every person: + − ?
| Who | Positive (+) | Negative (−) | Question (?) |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | I can swim. | I can't swim. · I cannot swim. | Can I swim here? |
| you | You can swim. | You can't swim. · You cannot swim. | Can you swim? |
| he | He can swim. | He can't swim. · He cannot swim. | Can he swim? |
| she | She can swim. | She can't swim. · She cannot swim. | Can she swim? |
| it (a dog) | It can swim. | It can't swim. · It cannot swim. | Can it swim? |
| we | We can swim. | We can't swim. · We cannot swim. | Can we swim? |
| they | They can swim. | They can't swim. · They cannot swim. | Can they swim? |
Questions and short answers
Can moves to the front: Can you ski?, not Do you can ski? Short answers end with can or can't: Yes, I can. No, he can't. A long answer like Yes, I can swim is fine too, but never Yes, I do.
Questions and short answers
| Question | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Can you ski? | Yes, I can. | No, I can't. |
| Can Noah drive? | Yes, he can. | No, he can't. |
| Can Jasmine cook? | Yes, she can. | No, she can't. |
| Can I come in? | Yes, you can. | No, you can't. |
| Can we stay? | Yes, you can. | No, you can't. |
| Can your friends come? | Yes, they can. | No, they can't. |
Negatives and short answers
Negative: can't, or cannot (one word): I can't drive. I cannot drive. (Not: I don't can drive. I can't to drive.) Short answers: Yes, I can. / No, I can't. (Not: Yes, I do. Yes, I can't.) A long answer is OK too: Yes, I can swim.
Ability, permission, requests, possibility
A skill: Dolphins can swim fast. Permission: You can't run here. Can I…? asks if something is OK, and Can you…? asks someone for help: Can you help me, please? And what is possible: You can buy tickets online.
| Use | Examples |
|---|---|
| Ability: a skill | Dolphins can swim fast. My dad can't dance. |
| Permission: OK or not OK | You can use my phone. Can I come with you? You can't run here. |
| Request: asking for help | Can you help me, please? |
| Possibility: it's possible | You can buy tickets online. |
How well? well, very well, a little
Well, very well and a little come after the verb and its object: He can play the piano well. I can speak Spanish a little. Not … at all means not even a little: I can't sing at all.
- very well · well: My mom can cook very well.
- a little: I can speak Spanish a little.
- not … at all: I can't sing at all.
- Word order: can + verb (+ what) + well: He can play the piano well. (Not: He can well play the piano.)
Common mistakes
The drills catch She cans skate, He can speaks English, I can to dance, Do you can cook? and She can very well sing. Can takes no -s, no to and no do, and well waits until after the verb.
She cans skate.
She can skate.
can is the same for every person: no -s
He can speaks English.
He can speak English.
after can: the base verb, no -s
I can to dance.
I can dance.
no to after can
Do you can cook?
Can you cook?
questions: can comes first, no do
Examples
- My grandma can speak Italian.ability
- Can your brother swim? — No, he can't.question and short answer
- Can I open the window? — Yes, you can.permission
- Can you help me with my bag? — Sure!request
- You can see the ocean from my room.possibility
- She can play tennis very well.how well
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.
What's in the lesson
- 41 auto-checked exercises
- 4 games
- 1 real-life document
- 1 grammar scheme
- 1 picture
The main objectives of this lesson are to:
- say what people can and can't do, with the same can for every person: Penguins can't fly. My aunt can speak Greek.
- keep the verb bare after can: He can speak English, not He can speaks English or I can to dance
- ask questions with can first and give short answers: Can your sister drive? – No, she can't.
- ask for permission with Can I…? and for help with Can you…?: Can I use your charger? Can you close the window, please?
- put well or a little after the verb and its object: Our teacher can speak Chinese very well.
- Grammar:
- can / can't · ability · permission and requests · short answers
- Topic:
- grammar practice · abilities · summer jobs · permission and requests
Teaching tips
- Run a find-someone-who hunt: students walk around asking Can you ski? or Can you speak Italian? and need a Yes, I can on every line before they sit down.
- Act out the snack bar interview: one student plays the manager with the job ad, the other answers with real skills and at least one polite Sorry, I can't…
- Write class rules together: like the pool notice, groups write five rules for your classroom with You can… and You can't…, then the class votes on the best ones.
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The whole course: English Grammar Practice · A1
English Grammar Practice · A1 has 24 drill lessons for adult beginners, one grammar point each, from the verb to be and the present simple to can, was and were and telling the time. Each has the rule as a scheme, 43 to 47 exercises that check themselves, 15 of them for homework, and no new words, so it works next to any course.See the course
- 1To be: I am, you are, she is
- 2To be negatives and questions: is it your bag?
- 3Subject pronouns and possessive adjectives: I, my, she, her
- 4This, that, these, those: what's this?
- 5Plural nouns: one box, two boxes
- 6A, an, the: a new apartment
- 7There is, there are: what's in the hotel?
- 8Have and has: she has a dog
- 9Present simple: she works, they work
- 10Present simple: don't, doesn't, do you…?
- 11Adverbs of frequency: always, usually, never
- 12In, on, at: times, days and months
- 13Prepositions of place: in, on, under, next to
- 14Can and can't: I can swim
- 15Imperatives: open, don't run, let's go
- 16Object pronouns: me, him, her, them
- 17Possessive 's: whose bag is this?
- 18Present continuous: what's happening now?
- 19Present simple or present continuous: every day or now?
- 20Like, love, hate + -ing: I love dancing
- 21Wh- questions: what, where, when, why?
- 22Countable and uncountable nouns: some, any, how much?
- 23Was and were: where were you yesterday?
- 24Telling the time and dates: what time is it?