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A1
Beginner
35 lessons
Common Greetings Present Simple Tense Listening Skills: Tips and Strategies Telephone and Video Call English Articles: A, An and The Numbers, Dates and Time Asking Simple Questions The Verb To Be Classroom and School Vocabulary Personal Pronouns: I, You, He, She Plurals: Regular and Irregular Nouns Possessives: My, Your, His, Her Family Members and Relationships Food and Drink Basics Days, Months and Seasons Reading: A Short Email to a Friend Colours, Shapes and Sizes Reading: Short Personal Profiles Reading: Signs and Notices Reading: Product Labels Using Capital Letters and Full Stops Reading: A Simple Menu Reading: A Basic Timetable Writing Your First Email in English Writing About Yourself Writing a Simple Message Writing a Shopping List Writing Numbers and Dates Correctly Listening: Numbers and Prices Listening: Greetings and Introductions Listening: Simple Instructions Listening: Spelling Names and Words Greeting People and Saying Goodbye Listening: Days and Times Listening: Short Conversations at a Shop
A2
Elementary
14 lessons
Past Simple Tense Reading: A Day in London Writing Paragraphs Food and Drink Vocabulary The Present Continuous Tense Describing People: Appearance and Personality At the Airport Reading: A Famous City Writing Simple Sentences Comparatives and Superlatives Simple Past Tense: Regular Verbs Simple Past Tense: Irregular Verbs Can and Can't: Ability and Permission How Much and How Many
B1
Intermediate
8 lessons
Reading: The Future of Work Understanding Accents and Dialects Countable and Uncountable Nouns The Present Perfect Tense Phrasal Verbs: Top 30 Health and Medicine Vocabulary Listening Strategies for Podcasts First and Second Conditional
B2
Upper Intermediate
11 lessons
Business Email Writing Reading: The Art of Listening Passive Voice Discourse Markers and Linking Words Academic Writing: Paragraphs and Essays Debate and Discussion Language Reading: Understanding Opinion Pieces Relative Clauses: Defining and Non-defining Academic Vocabulary: Word Families Inversion for Emphasis Environment and Climate Change Vocabulary
C1
Advanced
6 lessons
Nominalisation in Academic English Advanced English Idioms Hedging Language in Formal Writing Advanced Collocations and Word Partnerships Reported Speech Advanced Conditionals and Wishes
Lessons Grammar
💪

Can and Can't: Ability and Permission

Grammar Elementary ~2 min

Use 'can' and 'can't' to talk about your abilities and ask for permission in everyday situations.

📖 Lesson

What You Will Learn

You'll learn how to use can and can't to:
- Talk about what you're able to do (ability)
- Say what you're not able to do
- Ask for permission politely
- Give or refuse permission

Explanation (with real-life context)

Can is one of the most useful words in English. It has two main jobs:

1. Talking about ability — what you're good at or able to do:
- "I can cook Italian food" (this is my skill)
- "She can speak three languages" (this is her ability)
- "Can you swim?" (asking about someone's ability)

2. Asking for permission — politely asking if something is allowed:
- "Can I use your phone?" (asking if it's okay)
- "Can we sit here?" (asking if the place is available)
- "Can I have a coffee?" (in a café)

Can't (cannot) does the opposite — it shows inability or refusal:
- "I can't drive" (I don't have this skill)
- "You can't park here" (it's not allowed)
- "I can't help you today" (I'm not able to)

Examples (natural sentences from daily life)

Ability:
- "Can you cook pasta?" — "Yes, I can cook pasta well."
- "He can't play guitar, but he can play piano."
- "Can she swim?" — "No, she can't swim."

Permission:
- Job interview: "Can I ask you a question?" (Is it okay?)
- At a friend's house: "Can I use your WiFi password?"
- In a shop: "Can I try this jacket on?"
- Via WhatsApp: "Can you send me the homework?"

Common Mistakes

❌ "I can to speak English" — Don't use "to" after can
✅ "I can speak English"

❌ "Can I to go to the bathroom?" — Wrong structure
✅ "Can I go to the bathroom?"

❌ "She can not come" (two words)
✅ "She can't come" (use can't, not can not)

Quick Tips

  • Can stays the same for all subjects: I can, you can, he/she/it can, we can, they can
  • When asking permission, can sounds friendly and natural
  • Can't is stronger than "cannot" — use can't in conversation
  • Listen for "Can you...?" in real situations — it's asking ability OR permission depending on context
Follow Along reads paragraph by paragraph with highlighting. Hover underlined words for quick definitions.

🃏 Key Vocabulary — tap to flip

10 words
can
/kæn/
Elementary
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Definition
Modal verb used to express ability or permission
"I can speak English very well now."
Tap to flip back
can't (cannot)
/kɑːnt/
Elementary
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Definition
The negative form of 'can'; means unable or not allowed
"I can't swim, so I'm taking lessons."
Tap to flip back
ability
/əˈbɪləti/
Elementary
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Definition
The skill, strength, or knowledge to do something
"She has the ability to speak five languages."
Tap to flip back
permission
/pərˈmɪʃən/
Elementary
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Definition
When someone allows you to do something
"Do I have your permission to leave early?"
Tap to flip back
modal verb
/ˈmoʊdəl vɜːrb/
Elementary
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Definition
A special verb (like can, must, should) that shows possibility or obligation
"In English, 'can' is a modal verb that never changes form."
Tap to flip back
dialect
/ˈdaɪəlekt/
Elementary
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Definition
A way of speaking a language used in a specific region or group
"In some dialects, people say 'cannot' instead of 'can't'."
Tap to flip back
can't
/kɑːnt/
Elementary
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Definition
Negative form of can; means you're not able to or not allowed to do something
"You can't use your phone during the exam."
Tap to flip back
skill
/skɪl/
Elementary
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Definition
The ability to do something well through practice or training
"Cooking is a useful skill to learn."
Tap to flip back
allowed
/əˈlaʊd/
Elementary
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Definition
Permitted; you have permission to do something
"We are not allowed to use phones in the classroom."
Tap to flip back
refuse
/rɪˈfjuːz/
Elementary
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Definition
To say no or not allow something
"The teacher refused to let us leave early."
Tap to flip back

✏️ Fill in the Blank

Type the missing word to complete each sentence.

I ___ speak English very well now.
She has the ___ to speak five languages.
Do I have your ___ to leave early?
In English, 'can' is a ___ that never changes form.
You ___ use your phone during the exam.

✅ Check Your Understanding

Quick Check
3 questions · no login needed

1. Which sentence correctly uses 'can' to talk about ability?

2. What does 'can't' mean in the sentence 'You can't park here'?

3. Which sentence is the correct way to ask for permission?

🧠 Practice Quizzes

Test Your Knowledge: Can and Can't: Ability and Permission
5 questions · 10 min
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