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Can you surf? Can for ability and sports

This A1 ESL lesson plan covers can for ability with sports vocabulary and the phrases for how well.

Grammar
Can and can't with sports verbs (We can't ski.), how well at the end, from really well to not at all, and the question How well can you swim?
Topic
Sports and the beach in Hawaii, from Duke Kahanamoku's statue in Waikiki to a surf school for beginners, with words such as surfboard, wave, lifeguard and medal.
Activities
The statue's sign to read, a beach-day dialogue and a surf school's message to hear, self-checking drills with faces for how well, a chat, a spin wheel and a post to write.

What's inside

  1. Chapter 1Ready, set, go!

    • 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: a statue in Waikiki

    • Look at the photo: the Duke statuePictureUnlock
    • Read the signReal-life documentTry it
    • Read and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
    • Read again and choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  3. Chapter 3Let's listen: can you surf?

    • Listen to Mia and JackListeningTry it
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and choose the right answerQuizUnlock
    • Listen to the surf schoolListeningUnlock
    • Transcript, for the teacherUnlock
    • Listen and mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock

  4. Chapter 4Grammar: I can swim really well

    • Study the scheme: can and how wellGrammar schemeTry it
    • Choose the right wordChoose the optionUnlock
    • Fill in the table: how well? (😀 🙂 😐 🙁)Fill in the tableTry it
    • Fill in the gaps: ✓ can, ✗ can'tFill in the gapsUnlock
    • Choose the right answerQuizUnlock

  5. Chapter 5Let's talk: a beach day

    • Choose the right replies: a beach dayChatTry it
    • Spin the wheel and answerSpin the wheelUnlock

  6. Chapter 6Homework

    • Put the words in the right orderUnjumbleUnlock
    • Unscramble the wordsAnagramUnlock
    • Write a post: my sportsWriting, checked by the teacherUnlock
    • Record yourself: what can you do?Speaking, checked by the teacherUnlock

25 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.

Sports 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

  • surfboard
  • wave
  • beach
  • lifeguard
  • beginner
  • medal
  • skateboard

Grammar: can for ability and how well

Sports are the clearest way to show ability, and Hawaii's surfing story runs from an Olympic champion to a first-day beginner. Learners say what they can do with can and a sports verb, then grade it on a four-step scale, from really well to not at all, so an answer says more than yes or no.

I can surf really well!

can / can't + verb, and how well

Can and can't with sports verbs

Can and can't stay the same for every person, and the sports verb follows with no to: I can swim, she can surf, we can't ski. Can't is the short form of cannot.

I / you / he / she / it / we / theycan / can'tverb

I can swim.

She can surf.

We can't ski. (can't = cannot)

Sports verbs: swim, ride, play

Some sports are one verb: swim, surf, run, ski, skate. Others are a verb and a noun: ride for a bike, a horse or a skateboard, and play for ball games like soccer and tennis.

  • 🏊 swim
  • 🏄 surf
  • 🏃 run
  • ⛷️ ski
  • ⛸️ skate
  • 🚴 ride a bike
  • 🛹 ride a skateboard
  • 🐎 ride a horse
  • ⚽ play soccer
  • 🎾 play tennis

How well? From really well to not at all

The scheme pairs each step with a face and a roommate: Mia can surf really well, Jack can surf quite well, Olivia can swim a little. At all goes with can't: Olivia can't surf at all.

How well?Example
😀 really well / very wellMia can surf really well.
🙂 quite wellJack can surf quite well.
😐 a littleOlivia can swim a little.
🙁 not at allOlivia can't surf at all.

Really well, a little, at all: at the end

The how-well phrase comes after the verb and whatever follows it: I can ride a horse a little. I can't ski at all. And it's well, not good: I can surf very well.

How well? At the end!

Put really well, quite well, a little and at all at the END: I can swim really well. I can ride a horse a little. I can't ski at all. And say well, not good: I can surf very well.

Can you surf? How well can you swim?

Yes/no questions start with can, and How well goes in front for a graded answer: How well can you swim? Quite well. Short answers can carry the grade too: Yes, I can – really well!

CanI / you / he / she / it / we / theyverb?

Can you surf? – Yes, I can – really well! 😀

Can you ski? – No, I can't. / No, not at all. 🙁

How well can you swim? – Quite well. 🙂

Common mistakes

  • I can really well swim.

    I can swim really well.

    how well: at the end

  • I can swim very good.

    I can swim very well.

    can + verb + well, not good

  • I can't swim nothing.

    I can't swim at all.

    can't + verb + at all

  • I can to surf.

    I can surf.

    no to after can

More lessons on this grammar: Modal verbs lessons and exercises

Try the can for ability exercises

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

More exercises

What's in the lesson

  • 10 auto-checked exercises
  • 4 games
  • 2 teacher-checked tasks
  • 1 real-life document
  • 1 grammar scheme
  • 1 set of word cards
  • 2 audio clips
  • 2 pictures
  • 2 transcripts

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

  • say which sports they can and can't do, with one can for everyone: I can swim. We can't ski.
  • say how well, with the phrase at the end: I can surf really well. I can't skate at all.
  • ask and answer Can you surf? and How well can you swim?
  • name sports with the verb each one needs: ride a bike, play tennis, ski
  • read a beach sign about Duke Kahanamoku and the Hawaiian name for surfing, he'e nalu

Lesson 30 comes second in Free time, the last unit of English A1.1 · Hello, World. It builds on lesson 29, which teaches can and can't for ability with hobbies and Can you…? with short answers, and adds a scale for how well; lesson 32 brings it back in the unit's review. Waikiki spans the whole scale, from a champion's statue on the beach to surf classes for people who can't surf at all.

Students open boxes of sports questions, then learn ten words, from surf and ride to lifeguard and medal, with pictures and audio. They read the sign beside Duke Kahanamoku's statue in Waikiki and answer true-or-false and multiple-choice questions. Two clips follow, both AI-voiced: Mia and Jack planning Saturday, and a surf school's phone message for beginners. After the scheme, the grammar chapter has four exercises, including a table where faces stand for how well, and each one checks answers as students go. The speaking chapter is a chat with Jack about the beach day and a spin wheel of sports questions.

Homework begins with a word-order game and an anagram of the lesson's words, both self-checking. Then students write a short post about the sports they can do and record themselves saying how well, and the teacher goes through the post and the recording.

Grammar:
can / can't · Can you…? · really well, quite well, not at all · sports verbs
Topic:
sports · surfing · Hawaii · beach · free time

Teaching tips

  • Draw the scheme's four faces on the board and point to one as you name a sport; students answer with the matching phrase, like I can ski a little.
  • Ask what Hawaii has to do with surfing before the reading; the sign answers with he'e nalu, hundreds of years of Hawaiian surfing, and Duke Kahanamoku.
  • Pause the surf school message after each line and ask a Can…? question about it, such as Can kids come? Students reply with a short answer.
  • Recast very good as very well whenever it comes up in the speaking chapter; it's a common slip, and the chat with Jack sets a trap for it.

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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 29Can you play Scrabble?Can and can't for ability
    2. Lesson 30 · you're hereCan 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 talk about sports in English?
To talk about sports, name each sport with its verb and add can: I can swim. I can ride a bike. I can play soccer. Many sports are a verb on their own, like surf, run and ski, while bikes, horses and skateboards take ride and ball games take play. To keep the conversation going, ask What's your favorite sport? or Can you skate?
How do you use can for ability in English?
Can plus a base verb says someone has a skill; can't says they don't. I can swim. My sister can surf. We can't ski. It never changes for he or she, and no to comes before the verb: I can surf, not I can to surf. The A1 lesson Can you surf? on edio.ai uses it for sports, from swimming to riding big waves.
How do you say how well you can do something in English?
Put a how-well phrase at the end of the sentence: I can swim really well. I can surf quite well. I can ski a little. For a firm no, pair can't with at all: I can't skate at all. To ask for a grade instead of a yes or no, start with How well: How well can you run? Quite well.
Is it "I can swim very good" or "I can swim very well"?
I can swim very well is correct, because well describes how someone does something. Good describes a person or a thing: I'm a good swimmer. After a verb, it's well: She can surf really well. He can play tennis quite well. A short answer follows the same rule: Yes, I can – really well!, never really good.
Is it "I can really well swim" or "I can swim really well"?
I can swim really well is the right order: the phrase for how well goes at the very end. I can ride a skateboard a little. We can play tennis quite well. For a complete no, English uses at all, not nothing: I can't swim at all, never I can't swim nothing.
What sports vocabulary do beginners learn?
Sports verbs come first, since they follow can directly: swim, surf, run, ski, skate, ride a bike, ride a horse, ride a skateboard, play soccer and play tennis. Beach and sports nouns complete the set: surfboard, wave, beach, lifeguard, beginner and medal. Note the American soccer for the game British English calls football.
How do I teach can for ability to beginners?
Teach yes and no first, then a scale for how well, so I can swim grows into I can swim quite well. Can you surf?, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, pairs four faces with really well, quite well, a little and not at all, plays the scale in a dialogue about a day at the beach, then has students turn faces into sentences in a table.
What's a good game for practicing can for ability?
A quick one is spin, answer, then report on a partner, with a question such as Can you ride a horse? or What sport can't you do at all? on each spin. In Can you surf? on edio.ai, one prompt on the wheel has students ask a partner three Can you…? questions, then tell the class My partner can… really well.
How do you practice can for ability one-to-one?
Swap roles so the student both asks and answers: let them quiz you first, Can you ski? How well can you swim?, then answer the same questions about themselves. With the A1 lesson Can you surf? on edio.ai, the student goes through the beach-day chat alone, picking replies like Yes, I can – quite well, and the spin wheel's partner questions are ones the teacher can answer too.
What's good homework for practicing can for ability?
Ask for a short text that grades the student's own sports: I can swim really well. I can ride a bike quite well. I can't surf at all. The homework in Can you surf? on edio.ai pairs a post for the class chat with a voice message on the same theme, after two self-checking games: sentences to put in order and beach words like surfboard to unscramble.
Are there interactive exercises on can for ability?
Yes: self-marking tables and chat role-plays give instant feedback on can and how well. The page of Can you surf?, an A1 lesson on edio.ai, plays four parts with no account: a sign by a surfer's statue in Waikiki, a beach-day dialogue, a table that turns faces into sentences like I can't ski at all, and a beach-day chat. The surf school message, the gap-fill and the homework need an account.
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