Can - Abilities
Learn how to use the modal can to talk about abilities.
Answer the following grammar questions.
Can – Abilities
Point 1: We use can to talk about abilities – things someone is able to do.
- I can play tennis.
- She can speak Italian.
- They can build a computer.
- This dictionary can hold one million words.
Point 2: The negative form of can can be written as cannot, can not, or can’t. All three mean the same thing, but can’t is the most common in conversation.
- I can’t go tonight.
- She cannot speak German.
- I can not get an internet connection.
- My car cannot go very fast.
Point 3: We can use adverbs to describe ability. Well means high ability. Not at all means no ability.
- Can you speak Japanese well?
- I cannot speak it very well. I can speak just a little.
- Can you cook?
- No, I cannot cook at all.
Point 4: We use good at, bad at, or terrible at to describe ability at an activity.
- Are you good at sports?
- Yes, I am pretty good at sports.
- Are you a good dancer?
- No, I am not good at all. I am terrible at dancing.
Point 5: We can also use adjectives like good, great, and poor to describe ability. Great means very high ability. Poor means low ability.
- She is a good singer.
- He is a great dancer.
- I am not a good student.
- I am a poor cook. (I am not good at cooking.)
About the Teacher
My name is Todd Beuckens and I am an ESL teacher in Japan.
I created this site to provide teachers and students free audio lessons and learning materials not usually found in commercial textbooks.