TEACHER'S NOTES

ESL / EFL RESOURCES Can and Could

Activity Type Introduction

Reading, listening and In this insightful teaching activity, students find out about their
speaking activity classmates' past and present abilities using the modal verbs 'can'
and 'could'.

Language Focus Procedure

Modal verbs of ability
Divide the class into groups of up to ten.
'Can you...?'
Give one card to each student.
'Yes, I can'. 'No, I can't'.
Go through the language on the cards and check the students
'Could you...?' understand each ability.
'Yes, I could'.
Explain that each student is responsible for finding out the
'No, I couldn't'. information on their card by speaking to everybody in their group.

Aim
To find out about your
classmates' past and
present abilities using the
modal verbs 'can' and
'could'.
The students then go around their group finding out about their
classmates' past and present abilities by asking questions with
'Can you...?' and 'Could you...?'
Students put a tick on the back of the card each time a classmate
answers 'Yes, I can' or 'Yes, I could'.
If possible, the classmate should also prove their ability by
completing the task on the card.

Preparation When everyone has finished, the students sit down in their groups
Make one copy of the and take it in turns to talk about the information they found out.
cards for every ten
students and cut as Afterwards, students give feedback to the class on their findings.
indicated.

Level
Pre-intermediate

Time
25 minutes

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 MODAL VERBS OF ABILITY

ESL / EFL RESOURCES Can and Could

Find out how many people... Find out how many people...

-c
 an remember the last present they -c
 an wake up on time without an alarm
received clock

- could walk when they were two years old - can write neatly with their left hand

-c
 an work better in the evening than in the -c
 ould speak two languages when they were
morning young

Find out how many people... Find out how many people...

- can eat a lot without putting on weight - can whistle a song

- could ride a bicycle before they were seven - could swim before they were ten

-c
 an remember what they ate for lunch -c
 an name three Australian cities in ten
yesterday seconds

Find out how many people... Find out how many people...

- can save money - can remember their best friend's birthday

- can say the alphabet backwards - can name five countries in South America

-c
 an remember what they did on their last -c
 an remember the name of the first
birthday teacher they ever had

Find out how many people... Find out how many people...

- can name five vegetables in ten seconds - can fall asleep in a chair

- can hold their breath for 30 seconds - could read before they started school

-c
 ould play a musical instrument at an early -c
 an remember what they were doing at 10
age o'clock last night

Find out how many people... Find out how many people...

- can spell the word 'generosity' - can type without looking at their fingers

- can say 'goodbye' in five languages - can make an origami bird

-c
 an see the same film twice without getting - can name five types of music in ten
bored seconds

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