Can: ability and permission
Use can + the base verb for ability and permission — "She can play the drums," "You can leave your bike here." The negative is can't; questions begin with Can I / Can you (could and may make the same idea more polite).
Read the sentences below, then practice the whole lesson with audio.
- 1My younger brother can play the drums really well
- 2I can make creamy mushroom pasta
- 3He can lift a heavy barbell at the fitness center
- 4She can complete a half marathon within two hours
- 5You can locate travel guides on the second floor
- 6I can’t draw well, but I can take good photos
- 7They can’t attend our team dinner this Friday night
- 8Can you ride an electric scooter safely?
- 9Can I sleep on your couch tonight?
- 10You can leave your bike in the hallway
- 11You can use my laptop if your computer isn’t working
- 12May I open the window a little?
- 13He can’t eat nuts, but he can have fruit
- 14She can write emails in English very clearly
- 15You can pay by card at the counter
FAQ
- How does this dictation practice work?
- Play a sentence, type exactly what you hear, then press check — Dictation Trainer shows word-level feedback: which words you misheard, misspelled, confused for a homophone, or missed.
- Do I need an account, and is it free?
- You can read the sentences here without signing up. To practice with audio and save progress, create a free account — practice runs on Echoes you earn for free, starting with 100.
- What level is this lesson?
- This lesson is graded A2 on the CEFR scale and has 15 sentences. Dictation Trainer lessons currently run from A1 to B2, with more lessons on the way.