Can I…?

  • A1 · Beginner
  • Grammar lesson
  • 60 min

Asking for permission with Can I…?: Can I have a blanket, please? Can I open the window shade? — Sure, go ahead. / Sorry, you can't. The student listens to a passenger on a long flight, practices the questions and the answers, and asks the teacher for permission as a guest in the teacher's home.

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Free, no card needed. The PDF has every slide, the homework and an answer key.

Can I…?Can I have…?Can we…?

What's in the lesson

  1. 1Warm-up
  2. 2In this lesson
  3. 3Check your understandingListening comprehension
  4. 4What does it mean?Grammar exercise
  5. 5Find Can IGrammar exercise
  6. 6Can I…?Grammar rule
  7. 7Which question? Which answer?Grammar exercise
  8. 8At Mrs. Bader'sGrammar exercise
  9. 9Questions for your teacherGrammar exercise
  10. 10Say it naturallySpeaking practice
  11. 11A guest in my homeSpeaking practice
  12. 12About youGrammar exercise
  13. 13Wrap-up

Homework

  1. 1Homework: find the mistakeGrammar exercise
  2. 2Homework: yes or no?Grammar exercise
  3. 3Homework: at the museumGrammar exercise
  4. 4Homework: a message to your landlordDiscussion

Two slides from the lesson

Warm-up

A few questions about you before we start.

  1. How often do you travel by plane?
  2. Can you sleep on a plane?
  3. What do you usually do on a long trip?

Grammar rule

Can I…?

Examples
Can I + verb…? (Is it OK for me?)Can I turn off the light? Can I try your cake?
Can we + verb…? (Is it OK for us?)Can we park here?
Can I have…, please? (to get a thing)Can I have a napkin, please?

Answers

Yes: Sure. · Of course. · Go ahead. · Yes, you can.

No: Sorry, you can't. · Sorry, not right now. Say why: Sorry, you can't. The store is closed.

Watch out

  • can + the verb, with no to and no -s: Can I try it? (not Can I to try it?, not Can I tries it?)
  • In a question, can comes first: Can I turn off the light? (not Can turn I off the light?)
  • please makes a question polite: Can I have a napkin, please?
  • Can I…? asks for permission. In lesson 16, can was about ability: Can you swim? Could I…? and May I…? are more formal: you meet them in A2.
In a question, can is weak: Can I sounds like "kuh-NIGH". In Sorry, you can't, can't is strong: "KANT".

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