Fun Grammar Lessons

Modals of Ability:
Can & Could
1 Grammar Notes 2
Can, Can’t, Could & Couldn’t

2 Matchup 5
Can & Can’t: Sentences

3 Writing about My Hobbies 6

Can & Can’t: Sentences

4 Pair Work 7
Can & Can’t: Questions

5 Find Someone Who 9

Can & Can’t: Questions

6 Fill in the Blanks 10

Could & Couldn’t: Sentences & Questions

7 Writing about My Childhood 11

Could & Couldn’t: Sentences

8 Complete the Story 12

Can Vs. Could

9 Quiz 13
Can Vs. Could

A Answer Key 14

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 Modals of Ability
Fun Grammar Lessons

1 Grammar Notes
A. Introduction to Modals
A modal is a word that comes before a verb
and gives it extra meaning like ability (can),
possibility (might), necessity (must), etc.

All modals in English are followed by a base verb,

which is a verb without any endings.

Examples:

• He can swim.
(can = modal of ability)

• She might read after dinner.

(might = modal of possibility)

• All bicycle riders must wear a helmet.

(must = modal of necessity)

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 Modals of Ability
Fun Grammar Lessons

1 Grammar Notes cont.

B. Can
Can is a present modal of ability.

Pattern Meaning Examples

Can + base verb • I can play the piano.

can + means that someone • My brother can draw
Positive
base verb is able to do the beautiful pictures.
action in the present. • We can skateboard.

Can’t + base verb

• She can’t ski.
can’t + means that someone
Negative • They can’t read yet.
base verb is not able to do the
• I can’t ride a bicycle.
action in the present.

• Can you dance?

A question with can +
Yes, I can. / No, I can’t.
can + subject + base verb
• Can he sing?
Question subject + asks if someone is
Yes, he can. / No, he can’t.
base verb able to do the action
• Can they go to the park after school?
in the present.
Yes, they can. / No, they can’t.

Note #1 Note #2
When speaking quickly, can has no stress when followed by a verb. Can’t is short for cannot.
Can is reduced to /k n/. We don’t reduce can’t. Notice the one-word spelling.

Examples: • I k n ski. But: • Yes, I can. • She cannot swim.

• She k n sing. • No, I can’t. • They cannot ski.

• K n you dance? • He can’t draw.

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 Modals of Ability
Fun Grammar Lessons

1 Grammar Notes cont.

C. Could
Could is a past modal of ability.

Pattern Meaning Examples

• She could dance at age 3.

Could + base verb
(time marker = at age 3)
means that someone
was able to do the • His friend could watch
could +
Positive action in the past. free movies last summer.
base verb There is usually (time marker = last summer)
a time marker to
• They could ski when they were little.
show the past time.
(time marker = when they were little)

• Mrs. Jones couldn’t dance

Couldn’t + base verb
20 years ago.
means that someone
couldn’t +
Negative was not able to • They couldn’t swim last year.
base verb do the action in
• I couldn’t draw a nice picture
the past.
when I was 4 years old.

• Could you swim when

you were 5 years old?
A question with Yes, I could. / No, I couldn’t.
could + subject +
could + • Could your teacher ski
base verb asks if
Question subject + when he was a child?
someone was able
base verb Yes, he could. / No, he couldn’t.
to do the action in
the past. • Could your classmate
ride a bicycle last year?
Yes, she could. / No, she couldn’t.

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 Modals of Ability
Fun Grammar Lessons

2 Matchup
Match the picture and the first half
of the sentence with the correct verb.

Ex He can a ski

1 She can b play video games

2 I can c ride a bicycle

3 He can d dance

4 They can e draw

5 You can f play the guitar

6 We can g skateboard

7 You can h run

8 I can i sing

9 She can j play the piano

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 Modals of Ability
Fun Grammar Lessons

3 Writing about My Hobbies

A. I can...
Write 5 sentences about what you can do.

Ex I can draw. 3

1 4

2 5

B. I can’t...
Write 5 sentences about what you can’t do.

Ex I can’t ski. 3

1 4

2 5

C. Practice
Now read your sentences to a partner.
Practise the reduced pronunciation for can.

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 Modals of Ability
Fun Grammar Lessons

4 Pair Work (Student A)

Fill in the missing information about Maria and John by asking
your partner questions. Put a  if the person can do the action,
and put an  if the person can’t do the action.

Examples

1 A:  Can John draw? 2 B:  Can Maria draw?

B:  No, he can’t. A:  Yes, she can.

   
Maria

   
John

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 Modals of Ability
Fun Grammar Lessons

4 Pair Work (Student B)

Fill in the missing information about Maria and John by asking
your partner questions. Put a  if the person can do the action,
and put an  if the person can’t do the action.

Examples

1 A:  Can John draw? 2 B:  Can Maria draw?

B:  No, he can’t. A:  Yes, she can.

   
Maria

   
John

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 Modals of Ability
Fun Grammar Lessons

5 Find Someone Who

First, write the questions in the “Question” column.
Then ask different classmates these questions. If a classmate
answers “Yes,” write his or her name in the “Name” column.

# Find someone who... Question Name

1 can ski. Can you ski?

2 can draw an elephant.

3 can sing.

4 can dance.

5 can swim.

6 can play the guitar.

7 can run very fast.

8 can watch TV at night.

9 can skateboard.

10 can ride a bicycle.

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 Modals of Ability
Fun Grammar Lessons

6 Fill in the Blanks

Look at the pictures. Then write could or couldn’t
and the verb from the picture in the blanks.

Ex couldn’t ski
Brian              when he was a child.

1 Samantha              when she was younger.

2 Mi Jin              the piano last year.

3 Lisa              the guitar last year.

4 Marco              when he was 5, but he can now.

Rashid              video games

5 when his grandparents were visiting last week.

Could Julia           when she was a child?

6 Yes, she           .

Could David           a bicycle when he was 2 years old?

7 No, he           .

Could Tony           movies when he got in trouble?

8 No, he           .

Could Marcia           5 years ago?

9 Yes, she           .

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 Modals of Ability
Fun Grammar Lessons

7 Writing about My Childhood

Write a short paragraph about things that you could and
couldn’t do when you were 3 years younger than you are now.
Write about hobbies, household rules, skills, etc. Try to use
could and couldn’t in most of your sentences.

When I was younger, I could

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 Modals of Ability
Fun Grammar Lessons

8 Complete the Story

Complete the story using can or could.

My Family

My name is Chris, and I want to tell you about my

family. I have a mother, a father, an older brother,

and a younger sister. What can my family do?

can
My father       play the guitar. My mother
Ex.

      sing beautifully. When my brother was

1.

5 years old , he       speak English and Spanish.

2.

Now he       also speak Japanese.

3.

My sister       ride a bicycle when she was

4.

4 years old. She       still ride a bicycle now, but

5.

she       also skateboard. I       not draw

6. 7.

when I was 2 years old, but I       now. I love

8.

drawing pictures of animals!       you guess

9.

what I’ve drawn in this picture?

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 Modals of Ability
Fun Grammar Lessons

9 Quiz
Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
Read the sentences carefully for clues.

Ex Jim was a talented 3 Tina     go to the 6 Shelly     dance

musician. He     park if she finishes all when she was 6 years
play the guitar and her homework. old because she took
the drums. many lessons.
a) can
a) can b) can’t a) can
b) can’t c) could b) can’t
c) could d) couldn’t c) could
d) couldn’t d) couldn’t

1 We     finish our 4     you ski when 7     you draw?
artwork because the you were 5 years old? I need help to finish
fire alarm went off this poster.
a) Can
during class.
b) Can’t a) Can
a) can c) Could b) Can’t
b) can’t d) Couldn’t c) Could
c) could d) Couldn’t
d) couldn’t

2 When he was younger, 5 They     watch 8 I     finish

Mr. Little     swim movies on weeknights this assignment.
very well. His nickname because they have It’s too difficult.
was “Fish.” to study.
a) can
a) can a) can b) can’t
b) can’t b) can’t c) could
c) could c) could d) couldn’t
d) couldn’t d) couldn’t

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 Modals of Ability
Fun Grammar Lessons

A Answer Key
Lesson Description: Level: Low Int – Int

In this lesson, students learn to use modals for Time: 2–3 hours
present and past ability. They practise these modals
in speaking, writing, and pair work exercises. Reduced Tags: 
can, could, modals, modal verbs, grammar,
pronunciation practice and an exercise comparing grammar practice, fun grammar lessons
can and could are also included.

2  Matchup 5   Find Someone Who

1. e 3. c 5. b 7. f 9. j Answers will vary. Monitor your students for

2. d 4. a 6. h 8. i 10. g correct question formation, and encourage reduced
pronunciation during the oral part of the activity.

3   Writing about My Hobbies

6   Fill in the Blanks
Answers will vary.
1. could swim 6. sing, could
2. could play 7. ride, couldn’t
4   Pair Work 3. couldn’t play 8. watch, couldn’t
4. couldn’t skateboard 9. dance could
Student A: 5. couldn’t play

Maria... John...
...can’t sing. ...can’t draw. 7  Writing about
...can play the guitar. ...can dance.
....can’t skateboard. ...can ride a bicycle. My Childhood
...can swim. ...can’t ski.
Answers will vary.
Student B:
(continued on the next page...)
Maria... John...
...can draw. ...can sing.
...can’t dance. ...can’t play the guitar.
...can ride a bicycle. ...can skateboard.
...can’t ski. ...can swim.

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 Modals of Ability
Fun Grammar Lessons

A Answer Key cont.

8   Complete the Story

1. can 4. could 7. could

2. could 5. can 8. can
3. can 6. can 9. Can

9  Quiz

1. c 3. c 5. c 7. c 9. b
2. d 4. a 6. b 8. a

Editor’s Note:

Both cannot and can not are acceptable spellings,

though the first is much more common.

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