Have a go — no notes. A wrong guess is fine.
Something you know already. Complete this sentence:
"My sister a doctor. She works at the big hospital."
Say two sentences out loud about your free time: one sport or activity, and one thing about music or food. For example, start with "I play..." or "I like..."
Anna: Can you swim?
Ben: Yes! I love the sea. Can you?
Anna: No — but I can play tennis really well.
Look at the little word can. Anna and Ben use it three times. What are they talking about — things they did yesterday, or things that are possible for them? Say your idea out loud, then check.
Saying what is possible — and what isn't.
Three things people say every day:
Look at the bold words. Does can change with I, my friend, she? And what form is the verb after it? Say your idea first, then check.
Type only the missing words.
1. A surprise about grandma:
"My grandma is 89, but she still walk five kilometres!"
2. Bad news for a friend — make it negative:
"I'm sorry, I come to your party on Friday. I'm ill."
3. Use can and the verb in brackets:
"He a little English." (speak)
Say three things you can do and one thing you can't do. Start each one with "I can..." or "I can't..." — sports, languages, cooking, anything.
Asking about other people — and answering fast.
Three little conversations:
Two questions for you: how is the question made? And in the short answers, which word comes back — the main verb, or can?
Can jumps to the front. That's the whole trick — nothing else changes.
1. You want to know about your friend and skiing. Write the question: (you / ski)
"?"
2. Give the short answer:
"— Can your sister ride a horse? — Yes, ."
3. Now a negative short answer:
"— Can Tom and Lisa cook? — No, ."
Ask me three "Can you...?" questions — about sports, languages, music, food. Then answer the same three questions about yourself: "Yes, I can" or "No, I can't."
The same little word — a new job: asking and giving permission.
Three things you hear all the time:
Nobody is talking about skills here. What does can mean in these sentences? Say your idea, then check.
1. You're in a café and you're cold. You want to close the door yourself. Ask if it's OK:
" the door?"
2. The sign says "No smoking". Tell your friend what it means. Use can:
"You here."
3. You're at a friend's house and you want some water. What do you say?
Imagine you're a guest in someone's home. Ask three polite "Can I...?" questions out loud. Then change roles — be the host: say one thing that's OK ("You can...") and one thing that isn't ("You can't...").
Now it's all yours — your real skills, your real life.
Speak for one minute: things you can do and things you can't do. Ideas to help:
Write a short message (3–5 sentences) to a new friend online. Tell them one thing you can do, one thing you can't do, and ask them one question with Can. The checker will tell you what it finds.
Statements, negatives, questions — all mixed together. You decide.
Each sentence has one mistake with can. Rewrite the whole sentence correctly — keep can in it.
1. "She cans play the piano very well."
2. "He can to run very fast."
3. "I don't can hear you."
4. "Can your brother uses a computer?"
5. Your friend asks: "Can you come at six?" You're free, so you say:
6. You're in a library. Which sentence is right?
One-minute challenge: a new student joins your English class. Tell them, out loud, two things they can do in class and two things they can't do. Then ask them one "Can you...?" question to be friendly.
1. Normal verbs change with he/she — complete it: "She in a hospital." (work)
2. Say it out loud: when you meet someone new, how do you ask their name, and how do you ask about their country?
3. Your phone is broken. Tell your friend, using the verb in brackets: "I you tonight — my phone is broken." (call)
4. On the bus, there's one empty seat next to a stranger. Ask politely: " here?"
5. An amazing animal fact — use can and the verb in brackets: "Parrots !" (talk)
Which part helped you most today — making questions, fixing the mistakes, or the speaking? Why was that one good for you?
At the start we said: can and can't for your abilities, other people's abilities, and asking if something is OK. Tick what's true: