🙋 Can You Help Me? — Requests With Can & Can't
Today you will discover Dad's work day, make requests with "Can you…?", answer "Yes, I can!" or refuse politely with "I'm sorry, but I can't." — and arrange a time to meet a friend.
Homework Time
Read the little scene below.
🤔 Who helps you with your homework?
💼 Dad's Work Day — At The Office
Dad says: "I'm a manager in a paper company. I arrive at the office at 8:30. I check my emails and I have meetings." Click a card to hear it.
Remember Lesson 24: with he / she / Dad, the verb takes -s: "Dad checks his emails", "He has a meeting", "She writes a note".
🏢 The Office Day Quiz
Look at the clock and the picture. What is Dad doing? 8 rounds!
🙋 Can And Can't For Requests
Put Can at the beginning of a sentence to make an informal request. Use can / can't + the base form of the verb for longer answers.
✅ Positive
- "Can you help me?" — "Yes, I can."
- "I can meet at 3 o'clock."
🚫 Negative
- "Can you help me?" — "No, I can't."
- "I can't meet for lunch."
- Polite: "I'm sorry, but I can't."
can never changes: "She can help" — never "she cans" ❌ — and no to after it: "I can meet", not "I can to meet" ❌.
🤔 Yes, I Can! Or I'm Sorry…?
Look at Leo's agenda. Friends and family ask him for things. Is he free? Choose the right answer!
🗓️ Let's Meet! — Arranging A Time
Leo and Nora must prepare a poster about Tunisia for school. When can they meet? Click a time in the agendas and listen to the phone call!
Listen And Repeat!
Click 🔊 Listen to hear the phrase, 🐢 Slowly to hear it slower, then 🎙️ My turn and say it out loud into your microphone!
✍️ Practice Time!
Exercise 1 — True Or False?
Exercise 2 — Complete The Dialogue
Fill in the missing word in each line of the conversation.
🎭 Create & Record: Arranging A Time To Meet
You and a classmate have a school project. Write your phone call: ask "Can you meet on…at…?", refuse politely once ("I'm sorry, but I can't. I have…"), then agree on a time!
🎙️ Now, Record It!
Act out your conversation out loud (alone with both voices, or with a friend) and record yourselves. Then listen back!
🎯 Final Quiz — Can & Can't
Answer 7 questions to test everything you learned in this lesson!