Hello!
In this video we're looking at 'can' and 'be able to',
and we're looking at ability, both now and in the future,
and we're looking also at permission, both now and in the future!
Hope you enjoy it!
I want to divide the screen into two halves, with 'Present' on the left and 'Future' on
the right, so I'll just click that up there, 'Present' and 'Future',
and I'd like to start off with one of Caroline's lovely drawings, and here we are -
here's Susan and Alex.
Now Susan is looking pretty pleased, and what can we say about Susan?
Well I'll just write it here - 'Susan can play the violin', because, we can see, 'Susan
can play the violin'.
But we'll look at Alex, and Alex doesn't look so pleased, and I'm afraid, 'Alex can't play
the violin', 'Alex can't play the violin.'
'Can't' or 'cannot' - I'll just write 'cannot' there, which is the complete version of it.
All one word, you'll notice.
Now let's move on to the future - here's another picture of Alex, dreaming of the future, and
what is he dreaming about?
'One day', that's Alex grown up, and he's saying 'One day, I'll be able to play.'
'I'll be able to play one day'.
So we use 'be able to' for the future, and 'can' or 'can't' for the present, but we also
sometimes use 'be able to' for the present, and here's an example:
'The company is able to supply the stores with the goods they require.'
Now I notice two things about that sentence: first of all, it's formal, and it's written.
It sounds very much to me like formal and written language.
Now moving on - the first half has been about ability - I'll just write 'ability' up there,
and the second half is going to be about permission.
I'll just write permission down there, here we go - 'permission'.
I'll start off with a picture of a young man, who wants to come through the door, there
he is, sticking his head around the door, and he's saying,
'Can I come in?'
I'll just write that here - 'Can I come in?'.
You could also say 'May I come in?', which is really quite formal and maybe a little
bit old-fashioned, but still in use.
All right, let's move on to the future.
Here's another picture, this time of the same young man, he's holding the keys of a car
- you can almost guess what he's going to be asking permission to do...
He's going to be saying, 'Can I drive, Dad?'
Well, as a Dad, I would have to reply, 'well, yes, you can drive when you're 17.'
'You can drive when you're 17 - not now.'
So, we use 'can' for permission or ability if we're talking in the present time,
but in the future we really only use 'can' for permission.
All right, that's all, bye for now!