Modals: can/ can’t/ could/ couldn’t Sports and games

In this full tutorial for beginners’ learners are going to learn when and how to use can/ can’t/ could/ couldn’t. Tell what they can/ can’t/ could/ couldn’t do and answer questions using can/ can’t/ could/ couldn’t based on the passage read.

Subject Matter: -Modals: can/ can’t/ could/ couldn’t

-Sports and games
Vocabulary Focus: Sports and Games

Materials: Charts, pictures

Value Focus: sportsmanship

Materials: Charts, pictures

Value Focus: sportsmanship

Learning Experiences

A. Pre- Activity

Vocabulary Drill: (Sports and Games)

basketball run

playground football

fishing swim

table tennis

skating volleyball

Motivation:

Ask students about their favorite sports and elicit their answers. Show pictures of different sports and ask them if they can or could do the sports being shown to them. Encourage them to answer using can/ can’t/ could/ couldn’t.

B. Activity Proper

Presentation:

Match the words with their pictures.

Teacher reads the passage while the students listen and fill in the table. What can/ can’t/ could/ couldn’t Sally do?

My name is Sally, and I am 32 years old. I now work as a Portuguese teacher. When I was a child, I could not speak Portuguese but now I can. My hobbies are skiing, skating, and running. I can’t skate well but I’m really good at skating. Two years ago I could not run very fast but I practiced hard and now I can.

Can	Can’t	Could	Couldn’t
__________	__________	__________	__________
__________	__________	__________	__________
__________	__________	__________	__________

Match the questions with the answers.

Can Sally speak Portuguese now?	Yes, she is. She can ski very well.
Could Sally run fast two years ago?	Yes, she can. She is a Portuguese teacher.
Is Sally good at skiing?	No, it isn’t. She can’t skate well.
Could Sally speak Portuguese when she was a child?	Yes, she can. She is very good at it.
Is skating Sally’s favorite sport?	No, she could not run fast. Now she can.
Can Sally ski?	No, she couldn’t speak Portuguese.

Analysis and discussion

Discuss when and how to use can, can’t, couldn’t using the table below.

Positive	Negative	Interrogative (Question)
Robert can swim well. Martina could play tennis when she was 10.	Robert cannot (can’t) swim well. Martina could not (couldn’t) play tennis when she was 10.	Can Robert swim well? Could Martina play tennis when she was 10?

Explain the usage:

1. We use can / can’t to talk about our abilities now.
I can play football. I can’t play the violin.

2. We use could / couldn’t to talk about abilities in the past.
When I was little, I couldn’t speak Italian but I can now.

3. We use can and could to make requests. Could is more polite.
Can you pass me the ball please?
Could you pass me the salt?\

Practice:

Answer the questions about yourself.

Can you play basketball?
Could you run fast when you were a child?

Can you swim well?
Can you play tennis?
Could you play many games when you were a child?

Can you ski or skate?

Evaluation

A. Make questions from the sentences given.

Suzie can’t sing.
Sally can’t skate.
Sally can run fast.

David can’t play tennis.
Simon can play basketball.
My sister can’t swim.

B. Use can/ could to make requests.

open the window
hold the door

ask the teacher
speak up

Homework

1. Make a list of 5 things you couldn’t do when you were little, and you can now.

2. Interview two classmates about 5 different sports/ activities. Use can/ could/ can’t/ couldn’t.

Practice exercise 1

Read the sentences and choose the correct answer.

1. When Tom, was 16, he was a fast runner. He__________ run 200 meters in 22 seconds.