Can and Can't for Ability
Use 'can' to say what you are able to do, and 'can't' (cannot) to say what you are not able to do. The form stays the same for every subject, so it is always "I can drive" and "She can't come today" with no -s and no 'to' after it. To ask a question, simply put 'can' first, as in "Can you help me?", without any form of 'do'. 'Can' is a modal verb, which means it is always followed by the bare base verb, never by 'to swim' or 'to drive'.
Examples
- I can drive. the speaker is able to drive
- She can't come today. she is not able to come today
- Can you help me? asking for help
The full lesson
Everything in the video, in text.
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Three tiny mistakes can wreck one of English's most useful verbs — so let's get can right.
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Can is how you talk about ability — what you're able to do. It follows just three simple rules, and that's the whole lesson.
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Rule one: can is always followed by the base verb — the plain form — with no to in between.
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Rule two: it never changes. I, you, he, she, we, they — every single one just uses can. There's no extra -s on he or she, ever.
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Let's see it. Talk about a skill you have, and just add the plain verb: I can swim.
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Notice it's she can — not she cans. Can never takes an -s: She can drive.
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Same word for groups, too: We can speak two languages.
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Rule three is about negatives and questions, and here can does the work itself. For not able to, just add n't: She can't come today.
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To ask a question, don't reach for do. Just flip can to the front: Can you help me?
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And short answers are easy — you just reuse can on its own: Yes, I can.
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Now the two traps. First, never put to after can. It's not I can to swim — a modal like can takes the bare verb.
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Second, never use do with can. It's not Do you can swim? — can already asks the question all by itself.
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So: can plus the bare verb, the same for everyone, and it handles its own questions and negatives.