Modal verb "can"
"Can" means to be able to do something, to know how to do something, to have an opportunity to do something.
I can swim.
Lucille can dance the tango.
Can you turn off the lights, please?
Sorry, I can’t help you.
Remember: can + infinitive
| Positive and negative | ||
|---|---|---|
| I/you/he/she/it/we/they |
can can't |
drive sing come help ... |
| Question | ||
|---|---|---|
| Can | I/you/he/she/it/we/they | drive...? sing...? come...? help...? etc. |
Examples
I can read Japanese.
She can swim across that lake.
We can't buy this house.
You can't live without money.
Can Mary play the violin?
Can your parents look after our cat?
Pay attention
To make the questions with "can" more polite and formal we use "could" instead of "can".
Examples
Could you show me the way, please?
Could you hold my bag, please?
Could you call Mr Clark?