English A1 · can
English A1 Topic 8 4:27 English narration · English + 中文 subtitles burned in
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Transcript
Can is the little verb of ability, permission and requests. Chinese spreads these jobs across hui, keyi and neng; English packs them into one word. I can swim. Can I go now? Can you help me? And here is the best news in the whole course: can never changes. No s for he, no past dance, no nothing. I can, you can, she can, they can. After the ego letter of the present simple, can is a holiday.
The forms fit on one small table. Statement: can plus base verb; she can speak three languages. Negative: cannot, one word, or can't in speech; he can't swim. Question: can flips to the front; can you cook? The verb after can is always the base form, because can does all the grammar work and the next verb relaxes completely. Short answers need nothing but can: yes, I can; no, I can't.
Pause and choose. She can speak three languages. After can, only the base form. Speaks invited the ego letter to a party it was not invited to, to speak brought a to that can never needs, and speaking is the ing form, which can also does not take. Can swims, can runs, can relaxes.
Three jobs, one word. Ability: can you swim means do you know how. Permission: can I borrow this means is it allowed. Request: can you help me means please do it. The same sentence can carry two jobs at once: can I open the window asks permission, and only you know if the room is hot. On register: can I is neutral and friendly; could I is more polite and arrives in A2; and may I is formal, good for exams and palaces, stiff for the playground.
Pause and choose. Ability. At a talent show audition, can you play the piano asks whether you know how, not whether it is allowed; the judges are not worried about permission, they are worried about the piano. The same words change jobs with the situation, which is why context is the real grammar book.
Two classic imports from Chinese. First, hui shuo is one piece, so can to speak sneaks in; English takes can speak, the base form only. Second, Chinese verbs never change, but after a month of the ego letter, she cans sneaks in; can never changes, so she can swim. The one verb in English that takes no s, and learners add one out of pure habit. Do not invite the ego letter back from its holiday.
Pause and choose. After this course, I will be able to speak English. Can has no future form; will can is not English, it is optimism. The future of can is the phrase will be able to. File it away for later, because hui also means prediction, mingtian hui xiayu, and English handles that with will, a whole A2 topic that is already looking forward to meeting you.
A truth-telling game. Say three abilities and one lie: I can ride a bike; I can cook noodles; I can dance; and one of these is false. Your partner guesses the lie. Then one honest can't: I can't dance; I have certificates in not dancing. And ask the room: can you play any instrument? Yes, I can; the triangle. It is still an instrument, and nobody can take that away from you.
Pause for four checks. She can swim: one word for every person, no s. Can you help me: can plus base form, no to. Can I go now: permission, with can flipped to the front. And future ability is will be able to, because can has no future. Next topic: imperatives and question words, how to tell people what to do and then ask them about it.