Can / Cannot
BasicUse the base verb after can.
- can + base verb: I can swim. (no to, no s)
- Negative cannot / can't: I can't dance.
- Questions Can you...? Short answers Yes, I can. / No, I can't.
文體小知識：What you can do.
§Text Passage
1My name is Kelly, and everyone has different talents. I can swim very fast because I practise every Saturday. I love the feeling of water on my face. My friends say I am as fast as a fish. I can also run for a long time without stopping. Last week, I won a running race at school. My coach says I can be a great athlete one day.
2My brother cannot swim, but he can sing beautifully. He can also dance well. My friend Peter can draw wonderful pictures of animals. His pictures of birds look almost real! Our classmate Mary cannot dance well, but she never gives up. She practises every day after school. Her smile shows she enjoys music.
3Last week, we helped our teacher clean the classroom together. We cannot finish it alone, but we can do it together. Everyone can do something special if they keep trying. Learning new things is always great fun. Can you sing, dance or draw? I believe everybody is good at something.
§Sentence-by-sentence translation Sentence-by-sentence translation
My name is Kelly, and everyone has different talents.
我叫 Kelly，每個人都有不同的才能。
I can swim very fast because I practise every Saturday.
我游泳游得好快，因為我逢星期六都練習。
I love the feeling of water on my face.
我好喜歡水拍在臉上的感覺。
My friends say I am as fast as a fish.
朋友說我像魚一樣快。
I can also run for a long time without stopping.
我還可以一口氣跑好長時間。
Last week, I won a running race at school.
上星期，我在學校跑步比賽拿了第一。
My coach says I can be a great athlete one day.
教練說我將來可以成為出色的運動員。
My brother cannot swim, but he can sing beautifully.
我哥哥不會游泳，但是他唱歌好好聽。
He can also dance well.
他還跳舞跳得很好。
My friend Peter can draw wonderful pictures of animals.
我朋友 Peter 很會畫動物，畫得非常漂亮。
His pictures of birds look almost real!
他畫的小鳥幾乎同真的一樣！
Our classmate Mary cannot dance well, but she never gives up.
同學 Mary 不是很會跳舞，但她從不放棄。
She practises every day after school.
她每日放學都練習。
Her smile shows she enjoys music.
她的笑容顯示她好享受音樂。
Last week, we helped our teacher clean the classroom together.
上星期，我們一起幫老師清潔課室。
We cannot finish it alone, but we can do it together.
我們一個人做不完，但一起做就可以。
Everyone can do something special if they keep trying.
只要肯堅持，人人都可以做到一些特別的事。
Learning new things is always great fun.
學新東西永遠都很好玩。
Can you sing, dance or draw?
你會不會唱歌、跳舞或者畫畫？
I believe everybody is good at something.
我相信每個人都有自己擅長的事。
1Summary 重點摘要
Use the base verb after can.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
Ability/permission.
Can not.
Move in water.
Move fast.
Make music with voice.
Move to music.
Make picture.
Assist.
3Step by step Steps
- AbilityCan shows ability and is followed by the base form of the verb. Example: I can swim. She can ride a bicycle. Remember that can is a modal verb and never changes: with any subject, the verb after it does not take s, so She can swims is wrong. To describe how well you do something, add adverbs such as well and very fast after the verb phrase, as in I can swim very fast.
- PermissionCan is also used to ask for permission. Example: Can I go out? Can I borrow your pen? Answer with Yes, you can or Sorry, you can't. When asking, the subject is usually I; when giving permission, use you. In more formal situations, Could I...? or May I...? sounds politer. Answer these questions with can or may, never with do, which is different from questions with ordinary verbs.
- NegativeThe negative of can is cannot, with the short form can't. Example: I cannot swim. He can't dance. Remember that cannot is written as one word without a space, and the apostrophe in can't cannot be dropped. The verb after the negative stays in the base form. For the past, use could not, with the short form couldn't. Can't sounds informal, so formal writing prefers cannot; keep this difference in mind in compositions.
- Q&ATo ask a question with can, move can to the front: Can you swim? The positive answer is Yes, I can and the negative answer is No, I can't. Note that the subject may change between question and answer: for Can he swim? the answer is Yes, he can. Short answers contain no base-form verb, only can or can't. Remember to raise your voice at the end of the question when speaking, and do not forget the question mark in writing.
- Questions and short answersA full exchange runs: Can you swim? Yes, I can. / No, I can't. Remember that short answers use only can or can't, never do, because the question is asked with can. In a positive short answer, can keeps its full form, while negative answers usually use the short form can't. If the subject of the question is he or she, the answer changes too, as in Can she sing? Yes, she can. You may add one more sentence after the short answer, such as I swim every week.
- could for the pastThe past form of can is could, which describes ability in the past. Example: When I was five, I could not swim. Now I can swim very fast. Could is also followed by the base verb. When contrasting past and present, use could in the first sentence and can in the second, and make the time clear with phrases such as when I was five. Could can also make polite requests, as in Could you help me? Tell the two uses apart from the context of the sentence.
5Worked example Example
Question: How do we write a short passage about talents with can and cannot?
- Step 1: Begin with what you can do, using can plus the base verb, and add a reason — I can swim very fast because I practise every Saturday.
- Step 2: Say what you cannot do with cannot or can't — I cannot dance well.
- Step 3: Write about a family member, contrasting ability and inability with but in one sentence — My brother cannot swim, but he can sing beautifully.
- Step 4: Use but to build a contrast that shows everyone has strengths — Mary cannot dance well, but she never gives up.
- Step 5: Conclude with a sentence that sums up the idea — Everybody is good at something.
- Answer: Sample answer: I can swim very fast, but I cannot dance well. My brother cannot swim, but he can sing beautifully. Mary cannot dance well, but she never gives up. Everybody is good at something.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1Use of can?
Q2After can?
Q3Negative?
Q4Question?
Q5She can swim?
Q6Past?
8Recap Recap
- can + base verb: I can swim. (no to, no s)
- Negative cannot / can't: I can't dance.
- Questions Can you...? Short answers Yes, I can. / No, I can't.
- Use but to contrast: She cannot dance well, but she never gives up.
- Past ability uses could: When I was five, I could not swim.