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  • 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?' '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!

Hello! In this video we're looking at 'can' and 'be able to',

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