“Can” is a modal verb in English that is used to express ability, possibility, permission, or requests. Here’s how you can use it:
Ability:
- I can swim.
- She can speak French fluently.
- They can play the piano.
Possibility:
- The meeting can be rescheduled.
- He can be difficult to work with sometimes.
Permission:
- Can I borrow your pen?
- Can we leave early today?
- Can they stay for dinner?
Requests:
- Can you help me with this problem?
- Can you pass me the salt, please?
- Can you open the window?
“Can” is a versatile modal verb that is used in various contexts to indicate different meanings related to ability, possibility, permission, or requests. It is commonly used in both spoken and written English.
The little word “can” is a very handy one in English, but it can have a few different meanings!
Here’s a rundown of the most common ways we use “can”:
- Ability: This is probably the most straightforward use of “can.” We use it to say that someone or something is able to do something.
- Examples: “I can speak French.” “That machine can fold clothes.”
- Permission: “Can” is also how we ask for or give permission to do something.
- Examples: “Can I borrow your pen?” “Yes, you can borrow it.”
- Possibility: We can use “can” to talk about whether something is possible or not.
- Examples: “This can be fixed easily.” “It can rain tomorrow.” (but we’re not sure)
Here are some extra things to remember about using “can”:
- It’s a modal verb, which means it follows different rules than regular verbs. For example, we don’t add an “s” to “can” in the third person singular (like “he run” – that’s wrong!).
- It’s always followed by the base form of the verb (no “to”). So instead of “Can I to go to the bathroom?” we say “Can I go to the bathroom?”
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