Study materials
Look at these three sentences. The verb has not changed once.
I can swim. She can swim. They can swim.
Can is the same for every subject (I, she, they). It needs no s ending, no to after it and no do in a question.
Words like can are called modal verbs. They stand before another verb and add the idea of ability or possibility. The verb after can is in its base form, the way it appears in a dictionary, with no to and no endings. The order is subject, can, verb, the rest.
Grandpa can fix anything.
She can sings. → She can sing.
What can means
There are not many meanings, and they all concern whether something is possible.
| What it expresses | Example |
|---|---|
| ability | She can dance. |
| possibility | We can go now. |
| impossibility | I can't come. |
The negative is can't, and in speech it is nearly always that rather than the full cannot.
He can't drive.
The full form cannot is written as one word. Ability means a person has learned to do something. Possibility means the situation allows it, and then can't often means that something is not allowed.
She can play the drums.
You can pay by card here.
You can't park here.
With find, see and hear English uses can't where Ukrainian uses the plain verb.
I can't find my keys.
I can't hear you.
Questions with can
To ask a question, can simply moves to the front. Do is not wanted here.
Can you swim?
Where can we sit?
If who asks about the one doing the action, nothing moves. Who goes straight before can.
Who can help me?
Answers are short and repeat can itself: Yes, I can. No, I can't.
When someone asks permission with Can I, the answer switches the subject to you.
Can I take a photo? Yes, you can.
The same word makes requests and offers. Can you is a request to another person, and Can I asks permission for yourself.
Can you open the window, please?
Can I use your phone?
Can I have asks for something, and Can I help you? offers help.
Can I have the menu, please?
Can I help you?
The imperative
The verb form for instructions, advice and requests is called the imperative. When you give an instruction, the sentence starts with the action itself, the verb in its base form. The word you is left out, because it is obvious who you are talking to.
Turn left.
Sit down, please.
Don't touch that.
A ban is built with don't and the base form, the same for everyone. If the instruction has a description rather than an action, it needs the verb be. Be stays in its base form too, so it is be, not are or is.
Be quiet!
Don't nervous! → Don't be nervous!
The word please softens the instruction and can stand at either end. And when you invite somebody to do something together with you, let's takes over.
Let's go home.
Let's is also followed by the base form with no to. Let's is short for let us, so we does not follow it. To suggest not doing something, add not after let's.
Let's not wait.
Please can even come before a ban. And the most polite of all is a request with Can you and please.
Please don't run.
Close the door. → Can you close the door, please?
Common mistakes
The first is putting to after can.
I can to play the guitar. → I can play the guitar.
The second is adding an s in the third person.
She cans swim. → She can swim.
The third is calling in do for a question.
Do you can swim? → Can you swim?
All three add something extra to can, whether to, an s or do. Can is a helper in itself, so the verb after it stays in its base form, and in a question can moves to the front with no do.