Aprende ‘Can’ y ‘Can’t’ para expresar capacidad (inglés nivel Pre-A1)

Q: How do I make a negative sentence with 'can'?

To make a negative sentence, you use can't (or cannot). For example, I can't sing.

Raúl Maguiña

Fundador de Langcom | Examinador de Cambridge y del SIELE

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19 de julio de 2026

PRE-A1✏️ Gramática⏱️ 3 minutos de lectura

Can y can’t are essential English words to talk about abilities. You use can to say what you are able to do, like I can speak English. It means you have the skill or the possibility to do something. To express what you are not able to do, you use can’t, which is short for cannot. Por ejemplo, I can’t fly. When you ask about someone’s ability, you start the question with Can, como por ejemplo Can you swim? These words are very simple to use because they do not change form for different subjects.

What is Can?

Can is a modal verb. We use it to talk about ability. Ability means what you are able to do.

You use can to say you have the skill or the possibility to do something.

The structure is always: Subject + can + base form of the verb.
The verb after can does not change.

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What is Can’t?

Can’t is the negative form of can. It means ‘not able to do something’.

Can’t is a short form of cannot. Both are correct, but can’t is more common in everyday speaking.

The structure is always: Subject + can’t + base form of the verb.
Como can, the verb after can’t does not change.

How to Ask Questions with Can?

To ask about someone’s ability, you put Can at the beginning of the question.

The structure is: Can + subject + base form of the verb?

For short answers, you use Yes, subject + can. o No, subject + can’t.

Forms of <span data-no-translation>Can</span> y <span data-no-translation>Can't</span>
Subject	<span data-no-translation>Can</span> (Positive)	<span data-no-translation>Can't</span> (Negative)
I	I can speak.	I can’t speak.
You	You can speak.	You can’t speak.
He / She / It	He can speak.	He can’t speak.
We	We can speak.	We can’t speak.
They	They can speak.	They can’t speak.

Ejemplos

I can swim.
She can speak French.
We can play football.
He can’t sing.
They can’t dance well.
Can you cook?
Yes, I can.
No, I can’t.
Can a cat fly? No, it can’t.

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Errores habituales de los hispanohablantes

Many Spanish speakers might say I can to swim. This is incorrect. In English, after can, you use the base form of the verb directly, without to. The correct form is I can swim.

Another common mistake is changing can for different subjects, like He cans swim. Remember, can is a modal verb. It never changes. It is always can for all subjects: I can, you can, he can, she can, it can, we can, they can.

Preguntas más frecuentes

What does ‘can’ mean in English?

Can means you have the ability or skill to do something. For example, I can read.

Does ‘can’ change for ‘he’ or ‘she’?

No, can never changes. It is the same for all subjects: I can, you can, he can, she can, it can, we can, they can.

How do I make a negative sentence with ‘can’?

To make a negative sentence, you use can’t (o cannot). For example, I can’t sing.

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Sobre el autor: Raúl Maguiña

Raúl Maguiña es el director de la Asociación Educativa Langcom, un centro autorizado de preparación para el examen Cambridge English en EE.UU.. Con más de una década de experiencia en la enseñanza de idiomas y la certificación internacional, ha ayudado a miles de estudiantes, profesores e instituciones educativas de 25 países a conseguir las certificaciones de inglés de Cambridge, IELTS, TOEFL y Michigan.

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