/kæn/ ES
/kən/ MX
Translation
To be able to do something, or to be allowed to do it.
Grammar
Examples
.
"Can" shows that you are able to swim.
, ?
You are asking if the other person is able to help.
.
Here "can" shows the children are allowed to play.
Used in
Stories
(17)A Day Together
2 min read · Core 1000
The First Day
2 min read · Core 1000
The First Day at Work
3 min read · Core 1000
Lost in Town
3 min read · Core 1000
The Journey
3 min read · Core 1000
The Late Bus
3 min read · Core 1000
The Phone Call
3 min read · Core 1000
The Rescue
3 min read · Core 1000
The Broken Window
4 min read · Core 5000
The Clock in the Hall
4 min read · Core 5000
Two Gardens
4 min read · Core 5000
Not in Front of Them
5 min read · Core 1000
The Box in the Wood
5 min read · Core 5000
The First Letter
5 min read · Core 5000
The Night Route
5 min read · Core 5000
The Photograph
5 min read · Core 5000
The Last Light
8 min read · Core 5000
Grammar articles
(52)Adjective order in English: opinion, size, age, shape, colour, origin, material, purpose
Adverb position in English: before the verb, after be, and the just, still and already traps
Advanced articles in English: the zero article, the with names and places, and go to school vs go to the school
Articles in English: a, an, the and the zero article
As vs like in English: swims like a fish, works as a waiter, and the truth about like I said
Both, either and neither in English: the two-of-something words, agreement traps, and Me neither
Causative have and get in English: have something done, get something done and having someone do it
Cleft sentences in English: it was X who, what I need is, and how to move the emphasis
Compound nouns in English: car park, coffee cup, and why GREENhouse is not green HOUSE
Conditional sentences in English: the four types explained
Countable and uncountable nouns in English: advice, information, news and the ones you simply have to learn
Discourse markers in English: well, anyway, actually, mind you and by the way
Ellipsis and substitution in English: I think so, neither do I, and the words you are allowed to leave out
Emphasis in English: I do like it, my own, the very, and how to push back
For, since, already, yet and still in English: which word, and where it goes in the sentence
Future continuous and future perfect in English: will be doing vs will have done
Future in the past: was going to, would, was about to, and the grammar of plans that failed
Future tense in English: will, going to and more explained
Gerund and infinitive: which verb form comes next?
Gradable and ungradable adjectives: why very furious sounds wrong, and which intensifier goes where
English grammar test: 30 questions with answers (A2-B2)
Hedging and vague language in English: sort of, a bit, -ish, stuff and or so
Indirect questions in English: Could you tell me where the station is, and the word order that goes with it
Inversion and word order in English: the subject-verb-object spine and when it flips
Linking words in English: however, although, despite, whereas and therefore
Mixed conditionals in English: past causes with present results, and present causes with past results
Modal verbs in English: rules, examples and how to use them
Modals of deduction in English: must be, might be, could be and can't be
Nominalisation in English: arrive becomes arrival, decide becomes decision, and why written English turns actions into things
Participle clauses in English: -ing and -ed clauses, and the dangling participle trap
Advanced passive structures in English: the get-passive, it is said that, and passives with two objects
Passive voice in English: rules, examples and when to use it
Past continuous tense: was and were plus -ing, and when to use it instead of the past simple
Past modals in English: should have, could have, must have and might have
Phrasal verbs in English: rules, examples and how to use them
Prepositions in English: place, time and movement explained
Present continuous tense: form, spelling and uses
Present perfect continuous: have been doing, and how it differs from the present perfect
Quantifiers in English: some, any, much, many and more
Question tags in English: the mirror rule, aren't I, and tags after let's and imperatives
Reflexive and reciprocal pronouns in English: myself, yourself, each other, and when English does not bother
Relative clauses in English: defining, non-defining and when to drop the pronoun
Reported speech in English: backshift, questions and commands
Reporting verbs in English: admit, deny, suggest, promise, and the pattern welded to each one
So, such, too and enough in English: words of degree and result
English tenses explained: all 12 with a master table
Time clauses in English: when, while, as soon as, until, before and after
Used to, would and be used to: talking about past habits and states in English
Verb patterns with objects in English: want somebody to do, make somebody do, and see somebody doing
Wish and if only in English: wish + past, wish + past perfect, wish + would, and why I wish I would is wrong
Word formation with prefixes: un-, in-, im-, dis-, re-, over-, under- and mis-
Word formation in English: how suffixes build word families and give away the part of speech
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