Expressing Ability: Can, Cannot, Can’t, Could
Modal verbs like can, cannot/can’t, and could are essential for expressing ability—or the lack thereof—across different time frames in English. Below is a comprehensive guide with many examples to help you master their usage.
1. Present Ability with “Can”
Use can to indicate what someone is able to do right now:
- I can swim very well. 🏊♀️
- She can speak three languages fluently. 🌐
- They can solve complex math problems quickly. ➗
- He can play the guitar beautifully. 🎸
- We can cook delicious meals. 🍲
- The baby can crawl and stand. 👶
- My dog can fetch the ball every time. 🐕
- The computer can process data rapidly. 💻
- I can run a mile in under eight minutes. 🏃♂️
- She can dance gracefully. 💃
- They can draw amazing portraits. 🎨
- Our team can win the championship. 🏆
- The machine can operate continuously for 24 hours. ⏱️
- He can drive a manual car with ease. 🚗
- I can code in several programming languages. 💻
- She can understand difficult concepts quickly. 🤓
- They can finish the project on time. 📅
- Our car can reach speeds of up to 150 mph. 🚀
- He can lift heavy weights at the gym. 🏋️♂️
2. Expressing Lack of Ability with “Cannot” / “Can’t”
Use cannot or its contraction can’t to show that someone is not able to do something:
- I cannot swim in the deep ocean. 🌊
- She can’t lift that heavy box. 📦
- They cannot solve that puzzle on their own. 🧩
- He can’t speak Japanese fluently. 🇯🇵
- We cannot attend the meeting today. 📅
- The bird can’t fly after its injury. 🐦
- I can’t understand this complex theory. 🤯
- She can’t come to the party because she’s busy. 🎉
- They can’t find the missing keys. 🔑
- He can’t operate the new software. 💻
- I can’t see clearly without my glasses. 👓
- The team can’t win if they don’t practice. ⚽
- She can’t remember where she put her phone. 📱
- We can’t travel during the storm. ⛈️
- He can’t eat spicy food. 🌶️
- They can’t afford the expensive tickets. 💸
- I can’t hear you over the noise. 🔊
- She can’t stay up late on weekdays. 🛌
3. Expressing Past Ability with “Could”
Use could to talk about abilities in the past or what someone was able to do before:
- When I was a child, I could climb trees easily. 🌳
- She could run very fast when she was young. 🏃♀️
- They could solve difficult puzzles in school. 🧩
- He could speak French fluently after living in Paris. 🇫🇷
- We could see the stars clearly from the countryside. ✨
- I could play the piano when I was in high school. 🎹
- She could draw amazing landscapes as a child. 🎨
- They could lift heavy weights before their injury. 🏋️♂️
- He could finish his homework in just one hour. 📝
- We could travel by train across the country. 🚂
- I could remember all the details from that day. 🧠
- She could sing beautifully in the school choir. 🎤
- They could swim across the lake when they were young. 🏊♂️
- He could build model airplanes from scratch. ✈️
- I could solve the math problem quickly. ➗
- She could dance gracefully at the recital. 💃
- They could speak several languages in high school. 🌍
- He could write poems effortlessly. ✍️
4. Conditional & Polite Uses of “Could”
Besides expressing past ability, could is also used for polite requests and conditional ability in the present.
- Could you pass the salt, please? 🧂
- Could I borrow your car for a day? 🚗
- I could help you if you need assistance. 🤝
- If I had time, I could join you for dinner. 🍽️
- Could you please speak slower? 🗣️
- I could attend the meeting if it is rescheduled. 📅
- Could we try a different approach? 🔄
- If you want, you could start the presentation now. 📊
- Could you help me move these boxes? 📦
- I could fix that error with some more time. 🛠️
