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• A new feature of English Online
• Free grammar presentations
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Write your answers in the chat:
1. How many languages can you speak?
A: 1
B: 2
C: 3
D: 4+
2. How many musical instruments can you play?
A: 0
B: 1
C: 2
D: 3+
3. How many push-ups can you do in 1 minute?
A: 0-15
B: 16-30
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C: 30+
D: I don’t know
We use can to talk about someone's skill or general abilities:
• I can speak English and French.
• He can use Microsoft Excel.
• He can drive.
To talk about skills or general abilities that we do not have, use cannot /
can’t:
• I can speak English and French, but I can’t speak Arabic.
• I cannot use PowerPoint.
• I can’t dance very well.
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After can / can’t we use the infinitive (without to):
• I can play the piano.
• I can’t cook.
To make questions, we invert the subject and can / can’t:
+ You can speak Chinese.
? Can you speak Chinese?
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Do we use can to talk about people’s skills, or what people
want to do?
After can, do we use the infinitive or the –ing form?
What’s the negative form of can?
Do we write cannot or can not?
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A:
Can you speak Chinese?
B:
Yes, I can. (NOT You can speak Chinese? Yes, I speak.)
A:
Can she drive a car?
B:
No, she can't. (NOT She can drive a car? No, she not drive.)
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Correct or incorrect?
She cans use Photoshop.
Can you to play basketball?
He not can speak English.
Can they run fast?
She can’t drove fast.
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• Use the infinitive without to after can / can’t
• Be careful with the negative form: we say can’t or cannot
(one word!)
Grammar Tip:
The past form of can / can’t is
could / couldn’t.
Example: She could ride a bike
when she was a child.
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Match the beginnings of the sentences to the ends:
1. Can you speak
a. Microsoft Excel.
2. I can’t ride
b. lasagne?
3. I can use
c. the violin.
4. I can play
d. Portuguese?
5. Can you cook
e. a motorbike.
English Online | www.britishcouncil.org
Match the beginnings of the sentences to the ends:
1. Can you speak
a. Microsoft Excel.
2. I can’t ride
b. lasagne?
3. I can use
c. the violin.
4. I can play
d. Portuguese?
5. Can you cook
e. a motorbike.
English Online | www.britishcouncil.org
Thank you for attending this grammar presentation.
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https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/english-grammarreference/ability
English Online | www.britishcouncil.org