El Uso de Can

Generalidades
El verbo modal o Modal Verb Can que significa poder y se utiliza para sealar que uno puede hacer algo, ya sea porque es un don o porque ha adquirido cierta habilidad para realizar algo. Cant es la abreviacin de can not que significa no poder Can va seguido del verbo en su forma infinitiva sin TO.

PP* I You He She It We You They

Aff* can can can can can can can can

Neg* cant cant cant cant cant cant cant cant

Int* Can I? Can you? Can he? Can she? Can it? Can we? Can you? Can they?

*PP: Pronombre Personal (Personal Pronoun) Aff: Afirmativo Neg: Negativo Int: Interrogativo Trd: Traduccin SA: Short Answer (respuestas cortas)

Aff: I can speak in French

Trd: Yo puedo hablar en francs

She can swim

Ella puede nadar

They can run very fast

Ellos pueden correr muy rpido

Neg: I cant speak in French Int: Can I speak in French? SA: Yes, I can SA: No, I cant

She cant swim Can she swim? Yes, she can No, she cant

They cant run very fast Can they run very fast? Yes, they can No, they cant

Para poder formar una pregunta en negativo puedes hacerlo de dos formas: 1.- Can + Sujeto + not + verbo + complemento? Can you not swim with us? 2.- Cant + Sujeto + verbo + complemento? Cant you swim with us? Can tambin se puede usar con los verbos de percepcin: See (ver), Hear (escuchar), Smell (oler), Touch (tocar). I can see the book, but I cant reach it. She can hear the cars. We can smell your perfume. He can touch his feet.

Sin embargo, hay que tener en cuenta que Can no se puede usar con los siguientes verbos: Know Need Want Otros usos de Can son: a) Requerimientos, peticiones o invitaciones: - Can you open this window, please? - Can you close the door, please? - Can you give me back my pen, please? - Can you come to my party? - Can we go to a restaurant? Im hungry. - Can we drink something? Im thirsty - Can we go to the cinema? b) Permiso Can I smoke here? Yes, you can No, you cant Can I go home now, please? Yes, you can. No, you cant Can he eat this sandwich? Yes, he can. No, he cant.

- I can drive Susan's car when she is out of town c) Posibilidad Anyone can become rich and famous if they know the right people. Learning a language can be a real challenge. It can't cost more than a dollar or two. You can't be 45! I thought you were about 18 years old.

Ejercicios: 1.- Completa las siguientes oraciones con can o cant segn corresponda 1. She ________________ understand quite a lot of English but she _______________ speak it. 2. I don't think I ________go on holiday this year, I __________________ afford it. 3. I ________________ find my way anywhere in this town. 4. My job is near my home, so I ________________ walk to work. 5. I hope I ____________ work abroad when I leave university. 6. My girlfriend bought a car last year so we ________________ go out a lot more since then.

2.- Completa las siguientes oraciones con can o cant. Si tu respuesta es cant, entonces seala lo que si pueden hacer. 1. Monkeys _____________ talk. 2. Pigs _______________ fly. 3. I ________________ play the piano, but Cory __________. 4. You ______________ go on vacation. It's too expensive. 5. ______________I borrow some money? 6. I don't know the answer. ____________ you tell me? 7. Tony _______________ come tonight, he's too busy. 8. Jim makes great food. He __________ cook really well. 9. Excuse me, we ____________ see the movie. 10. It's too noisy. We _____________ study well. 3.- Reordena las siguientes oraciones: speak can you English. - You can speak English. a) b) c) d) e) f) g) you can play the violin? draw they can't well. play I basketball can. we can come house to your? she sleep can't you cook can? watch can television I?

Homework 4. - Translate the following sentences into English. a) b) c) d) e) f) g) Ellos no pueden viajar en avin. Yo puedo hablar ingls fcilmente. Ella puede tocar el piano muy bien. Ellos no puede entender todo lo que digo. Puedes tu ver al gerente maana? Nosotros no podemos llegar despus de la 2 de la tarde. Puede Carlos venir con nosotros a la playa?

Vocabulary : Afford: costear / abroad: extranjero / expensive: caro / noisy: ruidoso