Meaning & use
can
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Meanings
modal verb
To have the ability or skill to do something.
Grammar: Followed by a base verb with no 'to': can swim, can speak.
Patterns
- can do something
- can't do something
She can swim very fast.
I can't lift this box alone; it's too heavy.
Can you drive a car?
modal verb
To be allowed to do something, or to ask for permission.
Grammar: Used in questions and statements about permission; more informal than 'may'.
Patterns
- can I do something?
- you can do something
Can I borrow your pen for a minute?
You can't park here; it's a no-parking zone.
Students can use the library until 10 p.m.
modal verb
Used to say that something is possible or likely.
Grammar: Often in negative sentences to say something is not possible.
Patterns
- can happen
- can't be true
Accidents can happen even to careful drivers.
That can't be true; I saw him yesterday.
Can it be that she forgot our appointment?
nouncountable
A metal container for food or drink.
Grammar: Regular plural: cans. Countable, so use 'a can' or 'two cans'.
Patterns
- a can of something
- open a can
He opened a can of soup for lunch.
Please put the empty cans in the recycling bin.
She bought a can of paint to fix the wall.
verbtransitive
To preserve food by putting it in a sealed can or jar.
Grammar: Takes an object: can tomatoes. Often used in the passive: canned fruit.
Patterns
- can something
- canned food
Every summer we can tomatoes from our garden.
The factory cans fish and ships it worldwide.
Canned peaches are sweet and easy to store.
Word forms
| third person singular | can (no -s; modal) |
|---|---|
| past tense | could |
| past participle | could (no separate participle) |
| -ing form | canned (for the verb sense) |
| plural | cans |
Common combinations
- can of soup
- She heated a can of soup for dinner.
- can't wait
- I can't wait to see you next week!
- can do
- If you need help, just ask—I can do it.
- can't stand
- He can't stand loud music late at night.
- canned food
- We keep canned food in the cupboard for emergencies.
Synonyms and how they differ
- be able to
- More formal and used in all tenses; 'can' has no infinitive or future form, so use 'will be able to' for the future.
- may
- For permission, 'may' is more formal: 'May I come in?' is more polite than 'Can I come in?'
- could
- Used for past ability or polite requests; 'could' is not the present tense of 'can' for ability.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: can or may?
can vs may
'May' is more formal for permission and also expresses possibility; 'can' is more common in everyday speech for ability and permission.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
'Can' is a modal verb, so it is followed by the base verb without 'to' or -ing: 'can swim.' The other options add 'to', -s, or -ing, which are not used with modals.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “can”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.