Grammar

can / Be able to
 Can
Ability
To show what we are our abilities and skills

Possibility
To show if there is a chance that we do something
 Can
Ability
✘ I can drive a car.
✘ She can cook.

Possibility
✘ He is free tonight. He can come to the party.
✘ We can go to the movies tonight.
Affirmative Statement
Can Main verb
Subject
(Modal verb) (Base form)
I

You

She

He can play the piano

It

We

They
Negative Statement
Can Main verb
Subject Contracted form:
(Modal verb-negative form) (Base form)
I I cannot  I can’t
You cannot  You can’t
You She cannot  She can’t
She He cannot He can’t
He cannot play the piano It cannot  It can’t
We cannot  We can’t
It They cannot  They can’t
We
They
Yes/ No questions
Can Main verb
Subject
(Modal verb) (Base form)
 Can I play tennis?
I
Yes, I can.
you
 Can you dance?
she
No, we can’t.
Can he play the piano?  Can he drive?
it
Yes, he can.
we
 Can they draw?
they
No, they can’t.
Information questions
 What can I do?
Can Main verb
WH-word Subject
(Modal verb) (Base form)

What I do? I can play tennis.

Where You hide?

 When can she come?
When She come?
How often Can He play? She can come tonight.

How It hunt?
 What can they bring?
What time We meet?
What They bring? They can bring cake.
 “Be” able to
Ability
✘ I can drive a car. I am able to drive.
✘ She can cook. She is able to cook.

Possibility
✘ He is free tonight. He can come to the party.
✘ He is free tonight. He is able to come to the party.
✘ We can go to the movies tonight.
✘ We are able to go to the movies tonight.
Affirmative Statement
Be Main verb
Subject Able to
(helping verb) (base form)
I am
You are
She is
He is able to Play.
It is
We are
They are
Negative Statement
Be
Main verb
Subject (helping Not Able to
(base form) Contracted form
verb)
I am not I’m not
I am
You are not you’re not / you aren’t
You are
She is not she’s not / she isn’t
She is He is not he’s not / he isn’t
He is not able to Play. It is not it’s not / it isn’t
We are not we’re not / we aren’t
It is
They are not they’re not / they aren’t
We are
They are
Yes/ No questions
Be Main verb
Subject Able to
(helping verb) (Base form)
 Am I able to play tennis?
Am I
Yes, I am.
Are you  Are you able to dance?
Is she No, we aren’t.
Is he able to play?  Is he able to drive?
Is it Yes, he is.

Are we  Are they able to draw?

Are they No, they aren’t.

Information questions
Be Main verb  What am I able to do?
WH-word Subject Able to
(helping verb) (Base form)

What am I do? I am able to play tennis.

Where are You hide?
When is She come?  When is she able to come?

How often is He able to play?

She is able to come tonight.
How is It hunt?
What time are We meet?  What are they able to bring?

What are They bring?

They are able to bring cake.
Could / was-were able to
 Could / was-were able to

Use both to talk about ability

I could speak French when I was 10.

I was able to speak French when I was 10.

We couldn’t understand the lesson.

We weren’t able to understand the lesson.

 Could / was-were able to

Use both of them to talk about negative possibilities in the past.

 She wasn’t able to be in the class yesterday.

She couldn’t be in the class yesterday.

 Could / was-were able to

BUT
only use “was-were able to” to describe positive possibilities in the past.

 She was able to be in the class yesterday.

She could be in the class yesterday.

THANKS!

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