Modal Verb: Can and Be able to (to express ability, permission)

swim surf aerobics boxing

football basketball volleyball tennis

English Teacher: Cesar

Huayllani Requena
 Modal Verb: Can and Be able to (to express ability, permission)

 We use can to say that something is possible or allowed, or that somebody has the ability to do something.
We use can + infinitive (can do / can see etc.):
e.g
 We can see the lake from our hotel.  ‘I don’t have a pen.’ ‘You can use mine.’

 Can you speak any foreign languages?  I can come and see you tomorrow if you like.
 The word ‘dream’ can be a noun or a
English Teacher: Cesar
verb.
 Syntax
Positive Negative Question
I   I    
I?
   
He He He?
cannot
She can She ( can’t ) Can She?
It   It     It?
We We We?
You can You cannot Can You?
( can’t )
They They They?

English Teacher: Cesar

 Positive Sentence

He can swim She can surf They can do aerobics They can boxing

He can play football He can play basketball They can play He can play
volleyball tennis
English Teacher: Cesar
 Negative Sentence

She can’t cook She can’t sing

He can’t swim

He can’t play the guitar She can’t ice skate

 You can say that somebody is able to do something, but can is more usual:

e.g We are able to see the lake from our hotel.

 Sometimes could is the past of can. We use could especially with:

See/ hear / smell / taste / feel /remember / understand
e.g  I haven’t been able to sleep recently.
 Tom might be able to come tomorrow.
 We had a lovely room in the hotel. We could
 Applicants forsee
the the lake.be able to speak
job must
two Iforeign
 As soon as I walked into the room, languages
could smell gas.
 I was sitting at the back of the theatre and couldn’t hear very well.

Note  could not = couldn’t

English Teacher: Cesar

METACOGNITIO
N
 How did you feel?

 What did we learn?

English Teacher: Cesar

than ks a million
English Teacher: Cesar