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Can and Could for beginners

cancouldmodals

Talent shows are a big thing now in our pop culture. If you want to participate in them, you should know how to talk about your abilities. Learn about it here!

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"Can and Could" in English Grammar

The Modal Verb Can

We use 'can' to talk about 'abilities' in the present.

We must use the base form of the verb after 'can.'

For example:

I can swim.

You can sing.

She can drive a car.

'Can' has only one form for all persons.

I can swim.
He/She/It can swim.
We/You/They can swim.

Negation

The negative form of can is 'can’t.'

I can't swim.

You can also use 'cannot'. But it's rather formal.

He can't sing.

Warning

Do not use don’t/doesn’t/didn’t with 'can.'

Questions

To form questions, all you need to do is change the subject with 'can'.

A : Can you sing?

B : Yes, I can.

C : No, I can't.

We use 'can' and 'can't' in question tags:

You can dance, can't you?

They can't stay calm, can they?

Warning

Do not use do/does/did in questions with 'can.'

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