🎸 Lesson 4.1: Can / Can't — Abilities & Food

Everyone can do something — swim, cook, sing, or ride a bike. In this lesson you learn one small, strong word: can. You use it to say what you are able to do. Then we go to a café and learn how to say which food and drink you like. 🍎☕

📚 What You'll Learn

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Say what you can and can't do
Ask "Can you…?" and give short answers (Yes, I can. / No, I can't.)
Say what food and drink you like and don't like
Name common foods and drinks and order in a café

⏱️ Estimated Time: 50–55 minutes

🎯 Project: Record (or say to a partner) 6+ sentences — 3 about your abilities (can/can't) and 3 about food you like or don't like.

In This Lesson

🔤 New Words in This Lesson

Here are some useful words from this lesson. Tap 🔊 to hear a word.

can — you are able to do it (I can swim.)
can't — you are not able to do it
ability — a thing you can do
like — it makes you happy (I like tea.)
some — a small amount (some water)
drink — something you drink (tea, milk, water)
vegetables — plants we eat (carrots, peas)

One Little Word: Can

Think about the things you are able to do. Maybe you can cook a great meal. Maybe you can drive, dance, or play a sport. In English, we put one small word in front of the action. It says we are able to do it: can.

The best part? Can is one of the easiest words in English. It never changes. It is the same for I, she, and they. Learn it one time, and you can use it everywhere. Later in the lesson, we use like to talk about food and drink. Then you can talk about a meal or order a coffee.

🧠 Mindset

It is easy to think about what you can't do yet in English. Change how you think. Today, you can say hello, count, spell your name, and describe your home. That is real progress! Every lesson adds one more "I can…" to your list. Learning is not about being perfect. It is about your list of "I can" growing week by week. 🌱

Can & Can't for Ability

We use can to say a person is able to do something. Put can before the main verb. Use the plain verb (no -s, no to).

Subject	can / can't	Verb	Example
I	can	swim	I can swim.
You	can	cook	You can cook.
He / She	can	sing	She can sing.
We	can	dance	We can dance.
They	can't	drive	They can't drive.

Look at the table. Can is the same for every subject. This is different from other verbs. Remember Lesson 2. We said "she likes" with an -s. With can, there is no -s, ever.

⚠️ Watch Out — Three Big Traps

❌ ~~She cans swim.~~ → ✅ She can swim. (Never add -s to can.)
❌ ~~I can to swim.~~ → ✅ I can swim. (No to after can.)
❌ ~~He can swims.~~ → ✅ He can swim. (The main verb stays plain, too.)

The negative: can't

To say you are not able to do something, use can't (the full form is cannot). Both are correct. We say can't in normal speech.

I can cook, but I can't drive.
She can sing, but she can't dance.
We can't speak Japanese.

💡 Saying it: can vs. can't

In fast speech, can is often quiet and short /kən/. Can't is louder and longer /kænt/, with a clear stop at the end. If a listener is not sure, they will ask! When you speak, make the t in can't clear. Then people hear the difference.

Questions & Short Answers

To ask a question, move can to the front, before the subject. Nothing else changes.

Question	Yes answer	No answer
Can you swim?	Yes, I can.	No, I can't.
Can she cook?	Yes, she can.	No, she can't.
Can they dance?	Yes, they can.	No, they can't.

For short answers, do not say the whole sentence. Just say "Yes, I can." or "No, I can't." It sounds natural and friendly.

To ask about everything a person can do, use "What can you do?" Read this short conversation out loud. Read both parts.

A: Can you play the guitar?
B: Yes, I can! And I can sing a little.
A: Wow. Can you play soccer, too?
B: No, I can't. I'm not good at sports. What can you do?
A: I can cook and I can drive, but I can't dance!

Can you…? Yes, I can. No, I can't. What can you do? I can… a little. I can't… very well.

Ability Verbs

Here are common verbs you can use after can and can't. Some are one word (swim). Some are short phrases (ride a bike).

swim 🏊
cook 🍳
drive 🚗
dance 💃
sing 🎤
run 🏃
ride a bike 🚲
play the guitar 🎸
play soccer ⚽
speak English 🗣️
speak Spanish 🇪🇸
draw ✏️
use a computer 💻

✅ Pro Tip — "play" is a team player

Use play the for music instruments: play the guitar, play the piano. Use play (no "the") for sports and games: play soccer, play chess. A small pattern, but a big help. 🎵⚽

Like: Saying What You Prefer

Now let's talk about food and drink. We use the verb like to say something makes us happy. Put the thing you like right after like.

Statement	Negative	Question	Short answers
I like coffee.	I don't like fish.	Do you like tea?	Yes, I do. / No, I don't.
You like rice.	You don't like milk.	Do you like eggs?	Yes, I do. / No, I don't.

To make it negative, use don't like. To ask, start with Do you like…? and answer with the short forms "Yes, I do." or "No, I don't."

How much? A simple scale

You can show how strong your feeling is. Here is a scale from most to least:

Feeling	Words	Example
😍 Love it	I love…	I love chocolate.
🙂 Like it	I like…	I like tea.
😐 Don't like it	I don't like…	I don't like fish.
😖 Hate it	I hate…	I hate onions.

💡 A little extra: like + -ing

You can also like an activity, not just a thing. Then add -ing to the verb: I like cooking. She likes swimming. Do not worry about the details yet. Just see the pattern. We will learn more later. 🍳

Food & Drink Words

Here are everyday foods and drinks. Say each one out loud as you read.

🍽️ Food

rice 🍚
bread 🍞
pasta 🍝
chicken 🍗
fish 🐟
meat 🥩
egg 🥚
cheese 🧀
apple 🍎
banana 🍌
orange 🍊
vegetables 🥦
chocolate 🍫

🥤 Drink

milk 🥛
coffee ☕
tea 🍵
water 💧
juice 🧃

💡 A gentle note: "some rice," not "a rice"

Some foods are easy to count: an apple, two eggs, three bananas. Other foods are hard to count, like water or rice: rice, water, milk, bread. For these, we do not say "a rice" and we do not add -s. We say "some rice," "some water," or just the plain word: I like rice.

Do not worry about this today. You will learn more in a later level. For now, just remember: an apple 🍎 (count it) but some water 💧 (don't count it).

At the Café

When someone offers you food or drink, they often say a polite phrase: "Would you like…?" This is a friendly way to offer. You do not need the full grammar yet. Just learn this phrase and the answers for it.

Would you like a coffee? Yes, please. No, thank you. I'd like a tea, please. Here you are. Thank you!

Now read a small café scene. Read both parts out loud.

Server: Hello! Would you like a coffee?
Customer: Yes, please. And I'd like some water, too.
Server: Of course. Would you like some cake?
Customer: No, thank you. I don't like cake — but I love chocolate!
Server: Here you are. One coffee and some water.
Customer: Thank you!

🌍 Culture & Register Note: "Yes, please" and "No, thank you" are very important in English. Just "yes" or "no" can sound a little rude. Add please and thank you. Then you sound warm and polite. Use them every time. 🙏

Practice & Project

🏋️ Exercise 1: can / can't

Objective: Choose the right word for a person's abilities.

Read about Sam. Fill each gap with can or can't. Use the ✅ and ❌ clues.

Sam swim. ✅
Sam drive. ❌
Sam cook Italian food. ✅
Sam play the guitar. ❌
Sam speak English and Spanish. ✅

✅ Answer

Sam can swim. · Sam can't drive. · Sam can cook Italian food. · Sam can't play the guitar. · Sam can speak English and Spanish.

Remember: the verb after can/can't never changes — can swim, not can swims.

🏋️ Exercise 2: Make the question

Objective: Turn each ability into a "Can you…?" question.

Example: dance → Can you dance?

cook → ?
ride a bike → ?
play soccer → ?
use a computer → ?

✅ Answer

Can you cook? · Can you ride a bike? · Can you play soccer? · Can you use a computer?

Answer each one about yourself: Yes, I can. or No, I can't.

🏋️ Exercise 3: Sort the food

Objective: Say what you like and don't like — then sort by countable.

Part A. Write two "I like…" sentences and two "I don't like…" sentences. Use these words: fish, chocolate, coffee, vegetables, cheese, tea. (Your answers are personal. The model shows one way.)

Part B. Sort these into count it (an apple) or don't count it (some water): apple, water, egg, rice, banana, milk.

✅ Answer

Part A (example): I like chocolate. I like coffee. I don't like fish. I don't like vegetables.

Part B:

Count it 🔢: apple (an apple), egg (an egg), banana (a banana)
Don't count it 💧: water (some water), rice (some rice), milk (some milk)

🎯 Your Project: "I Can… I Like…"

Now it is time to speak! Record yourself on your phone, or say it to a partner or the class. Say at least 6 sentences.

(3 min) Warm up. Read the ability verbs and food words out loud one time.
(4 min) Say 3 sentences about abilities. Use at least one can and one can't. Example: "I can cook, but I can't drive. I can play the guitar a little."
(4 min) Say 3 sentences about food and drink. Use like / don't like / love. Example: "I love coffee. I like rice. I don't like fish."
(3 min) Bonus: ask a partner "Can you…?" and "Do you like…?" Listen to their short answers. Alone? Answer your own questions out loud.
(2 min) If you recorded it, listen one time. Did you say can't clearly? Write one thing for your journal.

✅ Project Completion Checklist

☐ I said 3 sentences about my abilities (with can and can't)
☐ I said 3 sentences about food/drink I like or don't like
☐ I used at least one short answer (Yes, I can. / No, I don't.)
☐ I did NOT add -s or to after can
☐ I said can't clearly so it's easy to hear

🎯 Quick Quiz

Question 1: Which sentence is correct?

Question 2: Someone asks, "Do you like tea?" What is the best short answer for "no"?

Tips & Common Mistakes

✅ Do's

Keep can the same for everyone: I can, she can, they can. No -s, ever.
Use the plain verb after can: can go, not can goes or can to go.
Answer offers politely: "Yes, please." / "No, thank you."
Match the question word: Can you…? → Yes, I can. · Do you like…? → Yes, I do.

❌ Common Mistakes

⚠️ Watch Out

Adding -s to can: ❌ ~~He cans drive.~~ → ✅ He can drive.
Adding "to": ❌ ~~I can to sing.~~ → ✅ I can sing.
Wrong short answers: After Do you like…? say Yes, I do — not Yes, I can.
Saying "a rice": ❌ ~~I like a rice.~~ → ✅ I like rice. (uncountable — no a, no -s).

📓 Learning Journal

Keep building your learning journal — a notebook or a note on your phone. After every lesson, take five minutes to write down:

Key concepts you learned
Things that clicked for you
Questions or confusion points to revisit
Ideas you want to try
Your progress and feelings about learning English

✍️ This lesson's prompt: Write five true sentences about yourself. Three sentences with can / can't (something you can do, something you can't do yet). Two sentences about food you love or don't like. Then add one thing you want to do in English — for example, "I want to order food in a café."

📝 Lesson Summary

🎓 Key Takeaways

Can means "be able to." It's the same for every subject — no -s, no to: I can swim, she can swim.
The negative is can't (cannot): I can cook, but I can't drive.
Questions move can to the front: Can you swim? → Yes, I can. / No, I can't.
Use like for preferences: I like coffee. I don't like fish. Do you like tea? → Yes, I do. / No, I don't.
Some foods you count (an apple), some you don't (some water) — say some, not a, for those.
Order politely: Would you like a coffee? → Yes, please. / No, thank you.

🎉 What You've Accomplished

Look how much you can do now! You can tell someone what you are able to do. You can ask about their skills. You can talk about food and drink you like. You can even order politely in a café. These are real conversations. You will have them again and again — at work, with friends, and when you travel. That is a big step. 🎉

❓ Common Questions at This Stage

What's the difference between "can't" and "cannot"?

They mean the same thing. Cannot is the full, formal written form. Can't is the short spoken form we use most of the time. Say can't when you talk, and you sound natural.

When do I say "some" before food?

Use some for food and drink you can't count easily: some rice, some water, some bread. For things you can count, use a / an or a number: an apple, two eggs. You will practice this a lot in later lessons. A basic feel is enough for now.

Why is it "Yes, I do" and not "Yes, I like"?

English short answers use the small helper word from the question, not the main verb. The question "Do you like…?" uses do. So the answer is "Yes, I do." It feels strange at first. It becomes easy with practice.

🔭 Looking Ahead

In Lesson 4.2, we learn the Present Continuous. It says what is happening right now: "I'm eating," "She's cooking," "They're playing soccer." This tense makes your English feel alive in the moment.

✅ Before the Next Lesson

Say five true "I can… / I can't…" sentences from memory.
Name five foods and five drinks out loud.
Ask a friend or family member "Can you…?" and "Do you like…?" Even in your own language, listen to how the answers work.
Write your Learning Journal entry.

🌟 Encouragement for the Journey

Every time you say "I can…" in English, you show it — you can learn this language, one sentence at a time. Order that coffee, share what you love, and be proud of every word. See you in Lesson 4.2! 👋