Can Can't: Ability Inability

Modal Verbs
Can is a modal verb used to express ability and possibility. However, can’t is a modal
verb used to express inability and impossibility. Read the examples below:
Can Can’t
Ability Inability
• I can swim well. • I can’t swim underwater well.

• She can play computer games. • She can’t play tennis.
• He can speak Spanish fluently. • He can’t speak English fluently.
Possibility Impossibility
• You can learn to play basketball at a • You can’t learn to play hockey at a
summer camp. summer camp.
• We can go to the cinema in July. • Due to the covid-19 pandemic, we
can’t go to the cinema now.
Could is a modal verb used to express ability and possibility. However, couldn’t is a
modal verb used to express inability and impossibility. These are the past forms of can
and can’t respectively. Read the examples below:
Could Couldn’t
Ability (past) Inability (past)
• I could swim well when I was a child. • I couldn’t swim well last summer,
• She could play computer games last but now I can.
summer, but now she must study for • He couldn’t speak English
the school exams. fluently some years ago.
Possibility (past) Impossibility (past)
• You could have learned to sky at • We couldn’t buy the tickets for the
Sierra Nevada last winter. concert, they had sold out.
• We could go to the cinema in • Due to the covid-19 pandemic, we
January. couldn’t go to the cinema in April.
Modal Verbs
Should is a modal verb used to give advice (aconsejar). Shouldn’t is also used to give
advice. Read the examples below:
Should Shouldn’t
Advice Advice
• I can swim well. • I can’t swim underwater well.

• She can play computer games. • She can’t play tennis.
• He can speak Spanish fluently. • He can’t speak English fluently.
Must is a modal verb used to express obligation, while mustn’t is a modal verb used to
express prohibition. Read the examples below:
Must Mustn’t
Obligation Prohibition
• You must do your homework. • People mustn’t smoke at the cinema.

• People must do their best at work. • “You mustn’t come home late”, the
mother said to her son.
Notice: can, could, should and must are modal verbs, so you don’t add “-s” to the third person
singular when using them (She plays the piano She can play the piano).
Notice: should is sometimes used as a polite version of must, so their meaning is similar
(You mustn’t smoke cigarettes You shouldn’t smoke cigarettes).
Modal Verbs
Exercises
Choose one of the following modal verbs and fill in the blanks.
Should, can, can’t, must, mustn’t, couldn’t, can’t, can, could, shouldn’t
❖ Sarah ______ play the guitar, she does very well.

❖ You __________ eat too much chocolate.
❖ I ___________ go to Sierra Nevada last winter, but I will go next winter.
❖ Martin _________ skate very well, he should practice a lot.
❖ Richard’s cousin ________ drive a car. He wants to learn next year.
❖ Berta is a polyglot, she _________ speak four languages.
❖ I _______ study hard to get good grades and learn a lot.
❖ You _________ do some exercise, that will be good for your health.
❖ People ___________ smoke cigarettes, it is bad for health.
❖ We ___________ go to the cinema in January but we can’t go there now.
Write sentences about what you must and mustn’t do. Consider the
examples.
> fasten your seat belt (1) > drink alcohol (3) > study hard (5)
> watch TV a lot (2) > eat too much candy (4) > be polite (6)
1. In the car, I must fasten my seat belt.

2. I mustn’t watch TV a lot.
3. _____________________________.
4. _____________________________ .
5. _____________________________ .
6. _____________________________ .
Modal Verbs
Write sentences about what you can and can’t do. Consider the examples.
> speak Spanish fluently (1) > ride a bike (4) > play hockey (7)
> speak English fluently (2) > drive a car (5) > play football (8)
> bake a cake (3) > swim well (6) > play computer games (9)
1. I can speak Spanish fluently.

2. I can’t speak English fluently.
3. __________________________ .
4. __________________________ .
5. __________________________ .
6. __________________________ .
7. __________________________ .
8. __________________________ .
9. __________________________ .

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Modal Verbs

• I can swim well. • I can’t swim underwater well.

Ability (past) Inability (past)

Possibility (past) Impossibility (past)

• I can swim well. • I can’t swim underwater well.

• You must do your homework. • People mustn’t smoke at the cinema.

❖ Sarah ______ play the guitar, she does very well.

1. In the car, I must fasten my seat belt.

1. I can speak Spanish fluently.

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