You will learn how to:
Say what you do in your free time.
Say what you can and can’t do.
ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY
• We use frequency adverbs to describe how often
something happens. We use them with the Present Simple
tense.
• We place the frequency adverbs BEFORE the main verb (in
Present Simple).
I always walk to work.
He doesn’t usually wear jeans.
Do you often write letters?
• BUT, we put them AFTER the verb TO BE.
He is never late.
The children aren’t usually tired after school.
Are you often sad?
OTHER EXPRESSIONS OF FREQUENCY
How often…? To ask about the frequency of an action.
We place it at the beginning of the question.
I
you
d he / she / it
verb ?
How often o
does we
they
How often do you go to the cinema?
How often does Mary cook?
Use once / twice NOT one time
two times
once day
twice week
a
three times month
four times… year
We go to the theatre once a week.
Peter plays football five times a
month.
evening / morning / night… day / weekend…
every Saturday / Monday… week / year…
Mary cooks every day.
I play tennis every Sunday.
The rest of the frequency expressions are
placed at the end of the sentence
A. Put the words in the correct order to make sentences, as in the example.
play /often / on / Sundays / they / football They
often play football on Sundays.
1. late / is / she / sometimes
she sometimes is late
2. early / up / sister / never / Sundays / on / gets / my
my sister never gets up early on Sundays
3. usually / he / goes / to / on / Fridays / the / cinema
he usually goes on the Fridays to cinema
4. go / you / restaurant / often / a / do / how / to / ?
do you often go how to a restaurant ?
5. she / the / beach / to / always / goes / in / the / summer
she always goes in the summer to the beach
6. sometimes / her / does / she / Fridays / on / shopping
she sometimes does on Fridays her shopping
7. go / we / twice / month / the / theatre / to / a
we twice go a month to the theatre
8. never / in / is / the / at / mornings / Peter / home
peter is never in the mornings at home
9. he / work / rides / bike / to / his / often
he often work his rides to bike
10. home / they / get / six o’clock / usually / at
they usually get home at six o’clock
11. every / homework / students / their / good / do / day
students every day their good do homework
12. you / out / how / in / do / evenings / often / go / the / ?
do you often go out how in the evenings
14. I exercise in the afternoons. (often)
I often execise in the afternons
15. Does Jane have lunch at home? (usually)
Does Jane usually have lunch at home ?
C. Use the prompts and the frequency adverbs to write sentences about yourself.
always usually often sometimes never
1. get up at seven o’clock
I usually get up at seven
2. have a shower in the morning
I always have a shower in the morning
3. have lunch at school
I sometimes have lunch at school
4. do homework in the afternoon
I often do homework in the afternoon
5. play computer games in the evenings
I never play computer games in the evenings
6. cook dinner
I always cook dinner
7. watch TV before I go to bed
I sometimes watch TV before I go to bed
8. go to bed early
I always go to bed early
CAN AND CAN’T
The three main uses of Can are: 1) ability 2) possibility and 3) permission. However there
are some other used of Can as we will see below.
1. To express ability
Can means to be (physically) able to do something OR to know how to do something.
Birds can fly.
Elephants can't fly.
I can speak two languages.
2. To express a possibility (in general)
This refers to a theoretical possibility.
Note: we don't use can to talk about future possibilities. For this you would use may or
might.
It can get cold there at night so take a jacket.
I know you can win the competition.
Well, I think your car can be repaired, but it's not going to be cheap.
3. To offer to do something for others
Can is used when you offer to help someone or to do something for them.
You don't need to walk home. I can take you there if you like.
Can I carry your bags for you?
4. To ask for or give permission / To request something
Can is used to ask for / request permission or to give permission.
Note: Can't is used to refuse permission.
You can use my umbrella, I don't need it right now.
Can I sit in that chair please?
Mary, you can play outside if you like.
Can I ask you a question?
You can't go to the park. It will still be wet from the rain last night.
We can't leave the room until the assignment is completed.
5. Can't: Something that is forbidden or not allowed
We cannot park the car next to this fire hydrant.
You can drive as fast as you want on the German motorways.
You can't smoke in the restaurant.
You cannot drive a car without a license.
6. Can't: when you are sure that something isn't true or something is surprising
It can't be dark outside! It's only 4.30pm!
They can't have landed on the moon, I'm sure it's a hoax.
Can Exercises ¨Can ¨ or ¨can´t¨?
1. Her dad only speaks English. He can´t speak French.
2. I can swim a hundred meters.
3. can´t you make a fire?
4. can´t he cook? No, he can´t .
5. What sports can you play?
6. Marc can´t climb trees, he is ill.
7. There´s party tonight. can I come?
8. Peter doesn´t want to go to the pool because he can´t _ swim.
9. Cats can climb trees.
10. Rabbits can´t sing.
11. It is really dark. I can´t see anything.
12. I´ve got a new bike, no I can´t ride it.
13. He hurt his leg so he can´t run fast.
14. She´s a singer. She can sing nicely.
15. A girl can´t fly.
16. Ducks can swim.
17. Babies can´t ride bikes.
18. A dog can´t play tennis.
19. Squirrels can climb trees.
20. Cats can´t fly.
21. Bees can make honey.
22. can we go swimming, please?
23. Babies can drive a car.
24. Elephants can´t fly.
