Lesson 114 👩‍🏫 Can, Could & May - Basic English with Jennifer

Hi everyone.

I'm Jennifer from English with Jennifer.

Do you use the verb "can"?

I think you do.

Here are some examples.

I can swim, but I can't swim very well.

Can you sing?

Can you help me with my homework?

Can I ask you a question?

Which examples are about ability, meaning skills or talents?

Number one and number two.

Right?

We use "can" to talk about ability.

What about the other examples?

In number three, I'm asking for help.

It's a request.

In number four, I'm asking is it okay or is it not okay?

I'm asking for permission.

In this lesson you can study with my students Flavia and Andreia.

We'll practice making requests and asking for permission.

If I ask you, "Can I have your phone number?"

You need the pen.

Right?

Yeah.

What can you ask me?

Can I have your phone number?

I'll give you a hint: use.

Ah!

Can use your pen...can I use your pen?

There you go.

Can I have your phone number?

Yeah.

Can I use your pen?

Sure.

Okay.

Right?

So, "Can I have your phone number?"

I'm using "can" for permission.

What is permission?

Like a request.

Either permission or a request.

Right?

Parents give permission to children.

Teachers give permission to students.

Bosses give permission to workers.

Right?

So, permission usually comes from someone who can say yes or no.

Right?

"Request" is when you're asking for things.

Right?

You want something and you ask in a nice way.

Right?

"Jennifer, give me your pen."

That's not, that's like, that's not a request.

Can I use your pen?

That's a request.

So, we use "can" a lot for permission and for requests.

Right?

Okay.

Can I use your pen?

Um, it's very common to use the verb "borrow."

Borrow.

Sometimes students get confused with "lend."

Right?

This is my pen, and I give it to Flavia.

So, that's my pen.

Are you borrowing or lending the pen?

You lend me...mm-hmm.

And you are...I borrow your pen.

Exactly, so, if um I need a mirror, I could also ask, "Can I borrow your mirror?"

Can I borrow your mirror?

Sure.

Yes.

Yeah.

Sure.

When people ask to borrow or to use something, you can say yes.

What else could you say?

Yes.

Especially if it's a friend: sure.

What else?

Can I borrow your mirror?

Sure.

Sure.

I don't know.

No problem.

No problem.

Of course.

Of course.

Okay, um, can I use your bathroom?

Sure.

Sure.

Yeah.

Yeah.

What else would ask?

Can I have a glass of water?

Of course.

No?

Please?

Sure.

Let me get it for you, or I'll go get you one.

So, sure, of course ,no problem, yes.

This is, um, a longer sentence for something more important, so if you want my pen, I said,

"Sure."

You take it.

Maybe you want to borrow the earrings.

You like the earrings.

You want them for a Christmas party.

It's like, "Jennifer, I love those earrings."

I say, "Oh, you know I'd be happy to lend them to you if you want to use them for your

party.

I'd be happy to lend them to you.

You can give them back to me next week.

Okay?

So, if you want to tell someone that it's okay.

They can borrow something, something special, and you're happy to do that.

It's your friend.

"Oh, I'd be happy...I would...I'd.

I'd be happy to lend it.

I'd be happy to lend them lend them to you.

Okay?

Do you remember the difference between "borrow" and "lend"?

Let's see.

Which verb do I need?

Can I borrow your headphones?

Thank you for lending me your bag.

Sasha lent me her charger because my battery was low.

I borrowed Mike's ruler, and then I gave it back to him.

If someone is asking to borrow something from you, you can say yes or no.

If you say yes, you can use one of these common answers: Sure.

Of course.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

No problem.

Let's practice making more requests.

Let's see what else we can ask.

I have some suggestions.

I'm going to tell you a sentence of what you want or what you need, and you can ask me

for something.

Use a nice request with "can," so, for example, you want to use my pen.

You ask, "Jennifer, can I use your pen?"

Can I or can I please?

Right?

If you use "can," It's already nice.

Americans don't always say "please."

Sometimes we do; sometimes we don't.

Can I use your pen?

Can I please use...please use your pen?

We don't always say "please."

All right?

"Please"...not at the end?

You can.

Can you use your pen, please?

I think it sounds almost a little more polite, maybe a little more formal, if I say, "Can

I use your pen, please?"

But to a friend, "Can I...?"

I wouldn't even say "please" to a friend.

Like, "Can I use your pen?"

I don't say please to a friend.

But I'm asking.

I'm not going to say, "Give me your pen."

I make it a question and that's nice.

And my voice makes it nice.

I don't always say "please" to a friend.

Can I use your mirror?

Right?

Can I please use your mirror?

"Please" is extra nice.

But to friends, um, we don't always use "please."

I think other cultures might use "please" more than we do.

Okay?

Flavia, you want to call me tonight.

So, focus on the verb.

You want to call me tonight.

Can I call you tonight?

Sure.

Yeah.

You want to ask me a grammar question.

You want to ask me a grammar question.

Can I ask about...grammar...the grammar homework.

Sure.

Yeah.

I'd be happy to help.

Okay?

Can I ask you or can I ask you a grammar question?

Can I ask you about grammar?

Sure.

No problem.

What do you want to know?

Um, you want to watch one of my son's hockey games.

You want to watch a hockey game.

Uh, can I watch your son's game?

Sure.

Yeah.

I think it would be fun.

Yeah.

You have to come.

You want to meet my dog.

You want to meet my dog.

Can I meet your dog?

Of course, yeah, but you can't bring your cats.

She's a big dog.

Okay.

Um, sometimes we say "can."

A little more polite -- could.

So, maybe to um a stranger, like if you're in an office, and you have to sign a paper,

you don't have a pen.

You see a woman or a man at the desk.

They have a pen.

Could I use your pen, please?

I would be more polite.

It's a stranger.

I don't know them.

I might switch from "can" to "could," and I might add "please."

Could I use your pen, please?

At the end or in the middle.

Could I please use your pen?

You could do "please" at the end or "please" in the middle.

Could I please?

Can I please?

Could I please use your pen?

Even with my children, if I know I'm asking something special, I'll say to my children,

"Can you please go?

Could you please go?"

Because I don't want to.

"Could you please go to the neighbors and get some cheese?"

I'd ask them.

So, the nicer you are, you change the level: can - could and you can add on the "pleases."

"May" is also used for permission and requests.

Right?

And we ask, um, especially when we want to be polite with somebody who has power and

authority -- the director, your boss.

Right?

May I?

Very polite.

May I?

Uh, can you imagine a situation where your phone died.

That happens.

You need to make a phone call.

Maybe you're at an office, and you know this is a very special request.

You say, "I'm so sorry.

My phone died.

May I please use your phone?

Could I please make a phone call?"

l mean, that's a very special request, but you might need to make it.

"My phone died.

May I please use your phone?

May I please?

May I please use your phone?

Could I please make a phone call?

And you can say, "It's local, not international.

I'm not calling Brazil."

Okay, so you're at a hotel, and you're with your husband.

They gave you one pillow.

You need another pillow, so you need to pick up the phone, and you need to ask for another

pillow.

May I have one more pillow, please?

Yes.

No!

Yes.

So, you're on the phone.

"May I have another pillow, please?

And you can always give your room number.

This is room 212.

They should know, but, "This is room 212.

May I have another pillow, please?"

"Sure.

We'll bring it to you."

Okay.

Um, you're calling a restaurant.

It's a nice restaurant, and you want to make a reservation for 7 p.m.

May I make a reservation to...for...for 6 p.m.? Sure.

How many?

How many are in your party?

They'll say" party."

How many in your party?

Four.

Four.

Okay.

May have your... they'll ask, "May I have your name, please?"

Right?

And then they'll take your name.

Right?

May I make a reservation, please?

May I make a reservation for 7 p.m.?

For 6 p.m.? Good.

Um, you're calling a company for some reason.

That happens, and you want to speak to Mr. Peterson.

One more time.

Hello.

ABC Company.

Um, may I speak to Miss...

Mr. Peter...Peter, please?

Sure.

May I ask who's calling?

They'll ask for your name, so the question is, "May I have your name?

May I have your name?"

That's what you'll hear, and you have to give your name.

My first name is Flavia.

Um, so now decide.

We have CAN, COULD, and MAY.

You need to choose for the situation and think, "Who are you talking to?" Okay?

Um, you want to borrow your friend's sweater.

Can I borrow your sweater?

Yeah.

That's what I'd say.

Can I borrow your sweater?

Can she borrow your sweater?

Yes.

Sure.

No problem.

Um, you want to borrow her necklace.

It's a nice necklace.

Can I borrow your necklace?

Yeah.

That's fine, but if it's a very nice necklace, I'd be like, "Can I borrow your necklace,

please?

Could I please borrow your necklace?"

Could I borrow your necklace, please?

No.

No.

It's just too special.

Say, "Yes, but you have to be very, very careful."

We use CAN, COULD, and MAY for requests and permission.

If we need help or if we want to do something, we ask questions with these verbs, these modal

verbs.

Repeat after me.

Can I use your pen?

Could I please use your pen?

May I use your pen, please?

Can you help me?

Could you please help me?

Could you help me, please?

Note how we only use "May I?" in a question.

We don't say, "May you?"

It's time for a fun speaking activity.

Listen to Flavia, Andreia, and I create a story.

You can do this too.

Tell a story.

Use the words you know in English.

Have fun!

All right, so let's use some of the language: borrow and lend.

We can borrow.

We can lend.

I'm gonna tell a story, and you help me continue the story.

I...I don't have a sister, but this is a story, so, um I borrowed my sister's jacket, and

I lost it.

Then what?

I talked...talked or told?

I told my my sister that I lost her jacket, and she was very angry.

Then what?

My sister asked me to buy another jacket for her, and I told her, "I have no money."

And I cried.

And then?

If you don't have something, you say, "Pass."

Pass.

Um, I offered...

I offered, um, a sweater to my sister.

Good idea.

Yeah.

I went to my closet, I found a sweater, and I offered the sweater to my sister.

She accept...she accepted it.

Okay.

All right.

New story and we'll go this way.

Um...

My car had no gas, so I borrowed my friend's car.

Yeah.

I crashed my friend's car.

I cried.

I cried.

I didn't want to call my friend.

I tried to fix the car

before he, uh, sees it...before he saw it.

He saw.

Yeah.

But my friend called me.

"Hi.

The car is okay?"

And I cried.

And I confessed.

Good!

I confessed.

Um, then my friend cried and said or asked, "How bad is it?"

It's not too bad, but there's a lot scratches.

Oh good.

A lot of scratches.

Big scratches.

It's just a little scratch, but I pay.

Um, when you say, "I'm going to pay."

What is that?

I will pay.

I'm going to pay.

That's means you promise.

Past tense?

Promise - promised.

I promised pay... to pay.

I promised to pay.

Okay.

And my friend was, um, said, "Okay,'

and hung up.

Yeah.

Okay.

Is that the end?

Um.

"You have to borrow your car for me now."

Oh!

My friend said, "You have to...

lend...yeah...lend your car to me.

Okay.

But first, you need gas."

That's all for now.

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