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Grammar: A2 - ⚙️ Verbs in Depth: 🎭 Modals (Introduction) - Lesson 1: Modal "can/can't" (Ability & Possibility)

Sopheak Pich

✨ Lesson 1: The Modal Verb "can/can't"

Welcome to a new series on a special type of helping verb called modal verbs1. These verbs add extra meaning to the main verb, like showing ability or possibility. We will start with the most common one: can.

The Rules for 'Can'

Modal verbs are easy because they have simple rules:

  1. They are always followed by the base form of the main verb (e.g., go, eat, speak).
  2. They never change. There is no '-s' for he, she, or it.

Subject + can + [Base Verb]...

Use 1: Ability2 (What you know how to do)

We use 'can' to talk about skills and what we are able to do.

  • I can speak Khmer and English.
  • He can drive a tuk-tuk very well.
  • She can't swim. (can't = cannot)

Use 2: Possibility3 (What is allowed or possible)

We also use 'can' to talk about what is possible or permitted.

  • You can buy tickets for Angkor Wat online.
  • We can find many great restaurants on Pub Street.
  • You can't take photos inside this part of the temple.

Asking Questions with 'Can'

To ask a question, we invert 'can' and the subject. The short answer uses 'can' or 'can't'.

QuestionPositive AnswerNegative Answer
Can you help me? Yes, I can. No, I can't.
Can she speak French? Yes, she can. No, she can't.
🧠 Practice Quiz: Build the Sentence

Put the words in the correct order to make a sentence or question.

  1. ( ride / I / a bicycle / can )
    → I can ride a bicycle.
  2. ( cook / she / can't / amok )
    → She can't cook amok.
  3. ( you / Can / recommend / a good hotel )?
    → Can you recommend a good hotel?
📝 Homework: What Can You Do?

Write three true sentences about yourself. Write two things you can do, and one thing you can't do.

Example: I can use a computer. I can cook rice. I can't speak Japanese.

1 (I can...): ___________________________________

2 (I can...): ___________________________________

3 (I can't...): ___________________________________

Vocabulary Glossary

  1. Modal Verb: (Noun) - កិរិយាស័ព្ទគំរូ (kĕ're'ya'sap kŭm'roo) - A helping verb (like will, can, should) that expresses ability, permission, or future possibility. ↩
  2. Ability: (Noun) - សមត្ថភាព (sa'mat'thâ'phĭəp) - The skill or power to do something. ↩
  3. Possibility: (Noun) - លទ្ធភាព (lôt'thâ'phĭəp) - The fact that something might exist or happen. ↩