CAN / CAN’T
- ABILITIES –
Let’s read the text and learn
about abilities!
The Hodgson family
The Hodgson family from Texas, USA, are probably the most talented
family in the country. Thomas is the father of the family. He's 52 years
old and he can do everything. He can run for a long time. Every day, he
goes running in his neighborhood for 40 minutes. He can also swim very
well. He swims for his state's over-50 team! Thomas can't speak any
foreign languages, but his wife, Judy, certainly can! She can speak French,
Spanish and even Japanese. And she can teach them too. She works at
the Pinewood Language Academy.
Thomas and Judy Hodgson have three children and they can
all do many things too. Robbie, 23, can't run for long distances
like his father, but he can run very fast. He can run 100 meters
in just 11 seconds. That's very fast. He can also fly! Not like a
bird, but using a hang-glider. He goes hang-gliding every
weekend in the hills near the family home. The middle child is
Janine, who is 19. She's similar to her mother and she loves
foreign languages. She studies Italian and French and can
speak both of them very well. When she's with her mother,
they can speak French and nobody in the house understands
them!
Clara is the baby of the family. She's only 9 years old. She can't
speak French and she can't fly. What can she do? She can bake
the best cakes in the world! And her parents and her brother
and sister can eat them
TEXT
COMPREHENSION
True or False:
1. Thomas goes running every day near his house. ( )
2. Thomas runs for a local team. ( )
3. Judy teachers her students to speak other languages. ( )
4. The Hodgsons have two children. ( )
TEXT
COMPREHENSION
True or False:
5. Robbie can run 100m very quickly. ( )
6. He also goes flying in a hang-glider every Thursday. ( )
7. Janine is 19 and she is similar to her mother. ( )
8. Clara is only nine years old and she can bake cakes. ( )
TEXT
COMPREHENSION
True or False:
1. Thomas goes running every day near his house. ( T )
2. Thomas runs for a local team. ( F )
3. Judy teachers her students to speak other languages. ( T )
4. The Hodgsons have two children. ( F )
TEXT
COMPREHENSION
True or False:
5. Robbie can run 100m very quickly. ( T )
6. He also goes flying in a hang-glider every Thursday. ( F )
7. Janine is 19 and she is similar to her mother. ( T )
8. Clara is only nine years old and she can bake cakes. ( T )
ABILITIES
Vamos conversar mais um pouquinho sobre este texto e conhecer
algumas das atividades que “The Hodgson family” sabem fazer?
He can run for a long time. He can also swim very well.
Thomas can’t speak any foreign languages, but his wife, Judy,
certainly can!
She can speak French, Spanish and even Japanese. And she can
teach them too.
He can also fly! Not like
a bird, but using a hang-
glider.
She can’t speak French
and she can’t fly.
WHAT CAN SHE DO?
She can bake the best
cakes in the world!
And her parents and
her brother and sister
can eat them.
CAN x CAN’T
Formas afirmativa e negativa.
VERBO MODAL “CAN”
• Como vimos nos exemplos anteriormente, o verbo “CAN” possui
apenas uma forma para todas as pessoas. Observe:
I CAN
YOU CAN
HE CAN
SHE CAN
IT CAN
WE CAN
YOU CAN
THEY CAN
VERBO MODAL “CAN”
• Para formar sentenças negativas, podemos usar o “CANNOT” ou a
abreviação do “can + not”: “can’t”.
I CANNOT SPEAK RUSSIAN.
YOU CAN’T SPEAK RUSSIAN.
HE CAN’T SPEAK RUSSIAN.
SHE CAN’T SPEAK RUSSIAN.
IT CAN’T SPEAK RUSSIAN.
WE CAN’T SPEAK RUSSIAN.
YOU CAN’T SPEAK RUSSIAN.
THEY CAN’T SPEAK RUSSIAN.
VERBO MODAL “CAN”
• Para formar sentenças interrogativas, colocamos o “CAN” na frente
do sujeito.
CAN I ...? Para responder se você consegue
ou não fazer algo, usamos as
CAN YOU...? “short answers” (respostas
curtas):
CAN HE....?
CAN SHE...? Yes, (sujeito) + can.
No, (sujeito) + can’t.
CAN IT ...?
Nas respostas longas (Long
CAN WE...?
answers), nós repetimos a frase:
CAN YOU...?
Yes, (sujeito) + can +
CAN THEY...? complemento.
VERBO MODAL “CAN”
• Examples:
• She can play volleyball.
• She can’t play volleyball.
• Can she play volleyball? Yes, she can. / No, she can’t.
• Yes, she can play volleyball.
• No, she can’t play volleyball.
As respostas curtas são mais utilizadas que as
respostas longas.
QUANDO USAMOS ESTE VERBO MODAL?
• Antes de tudo, os “modal verbs” são palavras que acompanham os
verbos principais da frase para expressar algum sentido específico.
Pode ser a ideia de possibilidade, habilidade, obrigação ou permissão.
• No caso do verbo modal “CAN”, nós usamos quando quisermos falar
sobre habilidades. Ou seja, coisas que alguém ou algo consegue (tem
a capacidade) de fazer. Podemos traduzir como “poder”. Ou de outras
maneiras, como:
QUANDO USAMOS ESTE VERBO MODAL?
• “I can speak English” ( Eu sei falar inglês).
• “We can do that” (A gente consegue fazer isso).
• “Can you ride a bike?” (Você sabe andar de moto?)
LET’S PRACTICE!
Exercise 01
• Complete with CAN or CAN’T.
1. I ______ speak French. I picked it up while I was in France.
2. I ______ come to the party. I am really busy.
3. We ______ hear you. The music is so loud.
4. Where are my Keys? I ______ find them.
5. I ______ believe it. We won two million dollars.
6. We ______ meet tomorrow if you want.
7. He _____ jump. His leg hurt so much.
8. Illiterate people ______ read and write.
9. Fish ______ swim.
10. I _____ speak Spanish since I was 15 years old.
Exercise 01
• Complete with CAN or CAN’T.
1. I CAN speak French. I picked it up while I was in France.
2. I CAN’T come to the party. I am really busy.
3. We CAN’T hear you. The music is so loud.
4. Where are my Keys? I CAN’T find them.
5. I CAN’T believe it. We won two million dollars.
6. We CAN meet tomorrow if you want.
7. He CAN’T jump. His leg hurt so much.
8. Illiterate people CAN’T read and write.
9. Fish CAN swim.
10. I CAN speak Spanish since I was 15 years old.
Exercise 02
• Look at the pictures and complete with CAN or CAN’T.
a) Sarah and Tom ________________.
b) Mary _____________________.
c) Tony _____________________.
d) That man ___________________.
Exercise 02
• Look at the pictures and complete with CAN or CAN’T.
e) He ____________.
f) Granny _______________.
g) Lucas _____________________.
h) Joe ______________________.
Exercise 03
• Form questions from the given words or phrases.
1. the trumpet – play – she – can
________________________________________________?
2. e-mails – they – write – can
________________________________________________?
3. can – watch – I – TV
________________________________________________?
4. the cat – climb – the tree – can
________________________________________________?
Exercise 03
5. draw – can – brother – your – pictures
________________________________________________?
6. when – come – can – you
________________________________________________?
7. can – talk – the – parrot
________________________________________________?
8. we – can – do – what
________________________________________________?
