CAN

SUBJECT + CAN/CAN’T + VERB SIMPLE FORM + COMPLEMENT

(QUESTION WORD) + CAN + SUBJECT + VSF + COMPLEMENT + ?

➢ ABILITY (+/-/?)

I can understand French but I can’t speak it very well.

She can play the piano but she can’t play the guitar.

My cousin can draw really awesome pictures of houses and landscapes, but he
can’t draw any people’s faces.

Some of my friends can sing and dance very well.

I can drive a standard car but I can’t drive an automatic car.

Can the Mexican president speak English? – No, he can’t.

Can you write poems? -No, I can’t.

Can children learn another language quickly? -Yes, they can.

What can you do? – I can cook delicious food and I can use a computer.

➢ POSSIBILITY

We can wear casual clothes to take our English classes.

If you want to smoke, you can do it in an open place, but you can’t smoke in
offices or schools. Now you can’t smoke in most public places.

You can use your phone or your computer to look up information on the
internet but you can’t use the internet to answer your exams.

You can write the answers of the exam by hand.

My friends can’t have lunch at work because they work in a bank.

You can ask the teacher if you have any questions, but you can’t ask for the
answers in an exam.

Can we have a meal in a restaurant? I’m hungry.

Where can we buy something to drink?

Can I try on these shoes? They look so beautiful.

Why can’t we have a picnic in this area? – Because we can’t step on the grass.