Can and Can't for Ability
Short answer
Use can + the base verb to say what you are able to do, and can't (cannot) for what you are not: 'I can swim', 'She can't drive'. The form never changes — no -s for he/she/it, no 'to' after can, and no do/does.
Level: A1. Can is the first modal verb most learners meet, and the easiest to form: one word that never changes, followed by the plain verb. Use it to say what you — or anyone — are able to do.
The rule
A modal verb is a helping verb that adds meaning like ability, permission or possibility to a main verb. Can is a modal. The main verb after it stays in its base form — the dictionary form with no ending: swim, drive, cook, speak.
For ability, can means “is/are able to”. The best part: can has only one shape. Every subject uses the same word — I can, you can, he can, she can, it can, we can, they can. There is no -s for he/she/it, and there is no to before the main verb.
- I can swim. / She can swim. / They can swim. (all the same)
- He can speak three languages.
The negative is cannot, almost always written as the contraction can’t. Questions just put can before the subject: Can you cook? You never add do or does.
Can forms
| Form | Example | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | I / you / he / she / we / they can swim | same for all subjects |
| Negative | I can’t (cannot) swim | can’t is the normal form |
| Question | Can you swim? | can before the subject |
| Short answer (yes) | Yes, I can. | no main verb needed |
| Short answer (no) | No, I can’t. | the short answer is normal; ‘No, I can’t swim’ is also correct but less common |
How to say it
- In positive sentences, can is usually unstressed and sounds weak: “k’n” — “I can swim” runs together as “I-k’n-swim”.
- Can’t is stressed and clear, with a long vowel. In British English it sounds like “cahnt”; in American English like “kant”. Either way, the t and the stress are what listeners hear — that is how they tell can from can’t.
- Cannot (one word) is only used for emphasis or formal writing; in speech, use can’t.
Example sentences
- I can swim.A basic ability — base verb, no 'to'.
- She can drive.Same form for 'she' — no -s on can.
- He can speak three languages.A learned skill.
- We can meet at six.Can for arranging — a possibility.
- They can play the guitar.Plural subject, same 'can'.
- Can you cook?Question: can comes first, no 'do'.
- Can she ride a bike?Question about a third person.
- I can't drive.Negative: can't = cannot.
- He can't swim very well.Negative with an adverb of degree.
- You can see the sea from here.Possibility: what is possible to see.
- It can get very cold in winter.General possibility, not a person's skill.
- Can I help you?Offering help — still the same form.
- My little sister can already read.'already' with an ability she has gained.
- We can't hear you.Negative with 'we'.
- Can your dog do tricks?Ability of an animal.
- I can understand English, but I can't speak it well yet.Positive and negative together.
- Birds can fly.A general ability of a group.
- Can they come on Friday?Possibility question.
- No, they can't. They're busy.Short answer: 'No, they can't.'
- She can play chess and the piano.Two skills after one 'can'.
Common mistakes
- ❌ I can to swim. → ✅ I can swim. No to after a modal — the base verb comes straight after can.
- ❌ He cans drive. → ✅ He can drive. Can never takes -s, even for he / she / it.
- ❌ Do you can cook? → ✅ Can you cook? Modals make questions by moving themselves; no do / does.
- ❌ She can swims. → ✅ She can swim. The main verb stays in the base form after can.
- ❌ I can playing tennis. → ✅ I can play tennis. Use the base verb, not the -ing form.
- ❌ I no can swim. → ✅ I can’t swim. The negative is can’t / cannot, placed on can.
A short conversation
A: Can you play any instruments? B: I can play the piano a little. Can you? A: No, I can’t — but I can sing. B: Then we can start a band.
Usage notes
- Ability now. Can describes what someone is able to do in the present: skills, capabilities, and what is possible. “I can speak French” means the ability exists today.
- Possibility too. Besides personal skill, can says what is generally possible: “It can rain a lot in April”, “You can pay by card here.” The form is identical.
- Offers and simple requests. “Can I help you?” and “Can you pass the salt?” use the same can, though the politeness of requests is covered in its own lesson.
- No other endings. Can has no infinitive (“to can”) and no -ing form (“canning”). For tenses it can’t cover, English borrows be able to (see below).
Compared with…
- Could is the past and the more tentative, polite partner of can. For ability in the past, use could: “When I was six I could already read.” Could is also softer for requests and offers. See Could for Polite Requests and the Past.
- Could and can in requests overlap: “Can you help me?” and “Could you help me?” both ask for help, with could a little more polite. The full picture is in Making Requests with Can and Could.
- Be able to covers the tenses can cannot: “I’ll be able to drive next year” (future), “I’ve been able to swim since I was five” (present perfect). For the present, can and am/is/are able to mean the same, but can is far more common. The helping verbs am/is/are behind be able to come from Verb ‘To Be’ in the Present.
Quick recap before you practise.
Practice
Can for ability practice
Try each one, then press Check. No sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.
Hint: Modal first — no 'do'.
Show answer
Can — Can questions start with can, never with do.
3 Put the words in order to make a correct sentence.
Show answer
He can speak French — He + can + the base verb 'speak' + object.
4 Match each start to its correct ending.
- I can
- She can't
- Can you
- They can
Show answer
- I can → swim
- She can't → drive
- Can you → cook?
- They can → sing
Can/can't is always followed by the plain base verb.
Hint: can + not
Show answer
can't — The negative of can is can't (cannot).
Quiz
Check yourself
Can for ability quiz
12 questions · pick an answer and you'll see straight away if it's right.
0/12 0 answered
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Show answer
can — Can is followed by the base verb, with no 'to'.
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can — Can never adds -s, even for she.
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Can you cook? — Move 'can' to the front; no 'do', no 'to'.
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She can't swim. — The negative is can't + base verb.
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Yes, I can. — The short answer uses only 'can': Yes, I can.
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Birds can fly. — Use the base verb 'fly' after can.
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can — Can also expresses general possibility, with the same form.
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I can plays. — The verb after can stays in the base form: I can play.
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speak — Base verb after can: speak.
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can't — cannot contracts to can't.
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what is possible — Here can shows possibility — what you are able to do.
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Can she ride a bike? — Question order: Can + subject + base verb.
Recap cheat-sheet
| Form | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | subject + can + base verb | She can swim. |
| Negative | subject + can’t + base verb | He can’t drive. |
| Question | Can + subject + base verb? | Can you cook? |
| Short answer | Yes, I can. / No, I can’t. | (no main verb) |
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125 topics 125 ready now
A1 30 topics · 30 ready
- 01 Verb 'To Be' in the Present (am, is, are)
- 02 Subject Pronouns: I, You, He, She, It, We, They
- 03 Present Simple: Affirmative and the -s Ending
- 04 Present Simple: Negatives and Questions (do/does)
- 05 Articles: a / an and When to Use Each
- 06 The Definite Article 'The': When to Use It
- 07 Zero Article: When to Use No Article
- 08 Plural Nouns: Regular and Irregular Forms
- 09 This, That, These, Those (Demonstratives)
- 10 Possessive Adjectives: my, your, his, her
- 11 Possessive 's and s' (Showing Belonging)
- 12 There Is / There Are (Saying What Exists)
- 13 Have Got: Talking About Possession
- 14 Can and Can't for Ability You are here
- 15 Present Continuous (am/is/are + -ing)
- 16 Imperatives: Giving Orders and Instructions
- 17 Adjectives: Position and Basic Use
- 18 Prepositions of Place: in, on, at
- 19 Prepositions of Time: in, on, at
- 20 Question Words: What, Where, When, Who, Why, How
- 21 How Much vs How Many
- 22 Countable and Uncountable Nouns
- 23 Some and Any: Which One to Use
- 24 Object Pronouns: me, you, him, her, us, them
- 25 Adverbs of Frequency and Their Position
- 26 Like, Love, Hate + -ing (Expressing Preferences)
- 27 Would Like: Polite Wants and Offers
- 28 Making Requests: Can, Could, May I
- 29 Past Simple of 'To Be' (was / were)
- 30 Let's and Shall We: Making Suggestions
A2 25 topics · 25 ready
- 31 Past Simple: Regular Verbs and -ed Spelling
- 32 Past Simple: Irregular Verbs (go, see, have)
- 33 Past Simple: Negatives and Questions (did)
- 34 Comparative Adjectives (bigger, more expensive)
- 35 Superlative Adjectives (the biggest, the most)
- 36 Going To: Plans and Predictions
- 37 Will: Predictions, Decisions and Offers
- 38 Present Continuous for Future Arrangements
- 39 Present Perfect for Experience (ever / never)
- 40 Present Perfect with just, already, yet
- 41 Present Perfect vs Past Simple
- 42 Have To and Don't Have To (Obligation)
- 43 Should and Shouldn't for Advice
- 44 Could: Past Ability and Polite Use
- 45 Much, Many, A Lot Of
- 46 A Few, A Little, Few, Little
- 47 Adverbs of Manner (quickly, well, hard)
- 48 Verb + -ing or Verb + to (Introduction)
- 49 Zero Conditional (Facts and Rules)
- 50 First Conditional (Real Future Possibility)
- 51 Prepositions of Movement (to, into, through)
- 52 Possessive Pronouns: mine, yours, hers
- 53 Past Continuous (was/were + -ing)
- 54 Too and Enough (Degree)
- 55 Order of Adjectives Before a Noun
B1 27 topics · 27 ready
- 56 Past Continuous vs Past Simple
- 57 Used To and Would for Past Habits
- 58 Present Perfect Continuous (have been -ing)
- 59 Present Perfect: Simple vs Continuous
- 60 Past Perfect (had + past participle)
- 61 Second Conditional (Unreal Present/Future)
- 62 Third Conditional (Unreal Past)
- 63 Reported Speech: Statements (Backshift)
- 64 Reported Questions
- 65 Reported Commands and Requests
- 66 Passive Voice: Present and Past Simple
- 67 Must and Mustn't (Strong Obligation)
- 68 May, Might, Could for Possibility
- 69 Defining Relative Clauses (who, which, that)
- 70 Non-Defining Relative Clauses (with commas)
- 71 Gerunds and Infinitives: Full Verb Patterns
- 72 Verbs Where -ing vs to Changes Meaning
- 73 Future Continuous (will be -ing)
- 74 So and Such (Emphasis)
- 75 As...As Comparisons (equality)
- 76 Question Tags (isn't it? do you?)
- 77 Phrasal Verbs: Separable and Inseparable
- 78 Linking Words: because, so, although, but
- 79 Infinitive of Purpose (to / in order to)
- 80 Indirect Questions (Can you tell me...)
- 81 Make, Let, Allow, Help (Causatives Intro)
- 82 Be Used To and Get Used To (+ -ing)
B2 25 topics · 25 ready
- 83 Narrative Tenses for Storytelling
- 84 Past Perfect Continuous (had been -ing)
- 85 Mixed Conditionals
- 86 Wish and If Only (Regrets and Wishes)
- 87 Wish/If Only + would (Complaints)
- 88 Passive Voice: All Tenses and Modals
- 89 Reporting Passive (It is said that / is said to)
- 90 Causative: Have/Get Something Done
- 91 Reduced Relative Clauses (Participles)
- 92 Modals of Deduction: Present and Past
- 93 Needn't Have vs Didn't Need To
- 94 Future Perfect (will have done)
- 95 Participle Clauses (-ing / -ed / having done)
- 96 Advanced Comparatives (far/much + er, the more)
- 97 Conditional Alternatives: unless, as long as, provided
- 98 Advanced Determiners: each, every, either, neither
- 99 Intensifiers and Adverbs of Degree
- 100 Advanced Contrast: despite, in spite of, however
- 101 Advanced Linkers: therefore, moreover, consequently
- 102 Advanced Article Use (generalisations, names)
- 103 Verb + Preposition and Adjective + Preposition
- 104 Relative Clauses: whose, where, when, quantifier + whom
- 105 Subject-Verb Agreement: Tricky Cases
- 106 Emphatic Do (I do like it)
- 107 Would for Past Habits (Formal Narrative)
C1 18 topics · 18 ready
- 108 Inversion with Negative Adverbials
- 109 Inversion in Conditionals (Had I known)
- 110 Cleft Sentences (It was... / What I need is...)
- 111 Fronting and Emphasis (Word Order)
- 112 Subjunctive and Mandative (I suggest he be)
- 113 Ellipsis and Substitution (so, do, one)
- 114 Hedging and Cautious Language
- 115 Nominalisation (Academic Noun Style)
- 116 Advanced Discourse Markers (Spoken & Written)
- 117 Advanced Passive (passive + infinitive, get-passive)
- 118 Advanced Comparative Structures (no sooner...than)
- 119 Future in the Past (was going to / would)
- 120 Advanced Modals (may well, might as well, would rather)
- 121 Advanced Reported Speech (Reporting Verbs + Patterns)
- 122 Advanced and Idiomatic Phrasal Verbs
- 123 Collocation and Colligation (Natural Combinations)
- 124 Advanced Concession (much as, whatever, however + adj)
- 125 Absolute and Non-Finite Clauses (Formal)