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Can and can't: abilities, questions, a and an

I can swim, but I can't ride a bike. Can expresses an ability. It stays the same with I, she, he and they. Practise outdoor activities and use a or an when naming one object.

English 1AC · Original supplementary practice · Follow your teacher’s sequence · Updated

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Le support, la méthode et les exercices corrigés à imprimer.

By the end of this lesson, you can

  • Talk about what someone can do
  • Statements, questions and a/an
  • Separate an ability from an object

Before you startRead simple English sentences; use the starter lesson if you need help with names or numbers.

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How do I use can and can't to talk about abilities?

Use can or can't followed by the base verb: I can ride a bike; She can't skate. The form stays the same with every subject. Ask Can he swim? and answer Yes, he can or No, he can't. Do not add to or an s after can.

One modestly dressed Moroccan schoolboy riding a bicycle carefully in a quiet park; a second boy flies a kite far away.
Can + base verb describes ability.
View full-size image

Talk about what someone can do

After can or can't, use the base verb without to: She can skate. He can't swim. For a question, put can first: Can she ride a bike? Give a short answer with can: Yes, she can. No, she can't.

Learn whole activity phrases: ride a bike, climb a tree, fly a kite, play football and skate. Choose a before a consonant sound and an before a vowel sound: a bike, an orange kite. The sound, rather than the first written letter alone, determines the article.

Statements, questions and a/an

Subject or objectPositive or exampleNegative or example
I / she / theycan ridecan't ride
Can he swim?Yes, he can.No, he can't.
a kitean orange kitean umbrella

Read an activity-club profile

Three separated abilities: a boy riding a bike, a boy swimming in a modest full-body sports swimsuit, a boy skating with helmet
Make questions with Can + subject + verb?
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Read and explain this example

At the activity club, Ines can skate. She can't climb a tree yet. Omar can ride a bike and fly a kite. Can they swim? Yes, they can.

Separate an ability from an object

Compare I can ride with I have a bike. The first sentence tells us about a skill; the second tells us about a possession. A learner might have a bicycle but still be learning to ride it. When you describe an activity, keep the whole phrase together: ride a bike, fly a kite or play football. The article belongs to the noun phrase, while can controls the verb.

Three boys illustrate He can swim, Can he skate, and He cannot ride a bike. A bike and an orange kite illustrate a and an. The swimmer wears a long-sleeved swimming suit.
Use a or an according to the next sound.
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Remember

Do not add s after can: She can swim, not She can swims. Use Can he…? rather than Does he can…? Keep an before a vowel sound: an orange ball.

Step by step

Put the idea into practice

  1. Choose an activity you can explain with a simple verb phrase.
  2. Place can or can't before the base verb without changing it for he or she.
  3. Make a question by moving can before the person, then practise a short answer.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use can and can't to talk about abilities?

Use can or can't followed by the base verb: I can ride a bike; She can't skate. The form stays the same with every subject. Ask Can he swim? and answer Yes, he can or No, he can't. Do not add to or an s after can.

Why is Can she swims? incorrect?

Can already supplies the modal structure. The following verb stays in its base form, swim. Write Can she swim? and She can swim.

Does can change with he or she?

No. Say I can swim and She can swim. Never add an s to can or to the following verb.

Quiz: 1 questions

1 questions are randomly selected from this lesson’s 1-question bank. Choose one answer for each question and get an immediate explanation.

Q1Which question is correct?

Correct answer: Can she swim?

Can goes before the subject and takes swim without s.

Exercises with answers

4 exercises, from easy practice to challenges. Try each one yourself, then reveal the answer and explanation.

Exercise 1

Easy

Complete: She can (rides / ride) a bike. They can't (swim / to swim).

Answer and explanation

Ride; swim. Can and can't take the base verb.

Exercise 2

Intermediate

Make a question from He can skate, then answer no.

Answer and explanation

Can he skate? No, he can't. Move can before he and repeat can in the answer.

Exercise 3

Challenge

Write four sentences with can, can't, a and an.

Answer and explanation

Example: I can ride a bike. I can't skate. I have a kite. It is an orange kite. Your abilities may differ; keep the base verb after can.

Exercise 4

Intermediate

A pupil owns a bike but cannot ride yet. Write one possession sentence, one ability sentence and one question.

Answer and explanation

Example: He has a bike. He can't ride it yet. Can he practise with a teacher? Ownership and ability are different pieces of information.