{"id":595,"date":"2025-08-29T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-29T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/?p=595"},"modified":"2025-08-29T01:00:02","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T01:00:02","slug":"the-ultimate-guide-to-using-can-and-be-able-to","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/the-ultimate-guide-to-using-can-and-be-able-to\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ultimate Guide to Using \"Can\" and \"Be Able To\""},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/the-ultimate-guide-to-using-can-and-be-able-to\/#Differences_in_Meaning\" >Differences in Meaning<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/the-ultimate-guide-to-using-can-and-be-able-to\/#%E2%80%9CCan%E2%80%9D_has_more_uses_than_%E2%80%9Cbe_able_to%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Can&#8221; has more uses than &#8220;be able to&#8221;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/the-ultimate-guide-to-using-can-and-be-able-to\/#Use_%E2%80%9Cbe_able_to%E2%80%9D_with_subjects_that_have_abilities\" >Use &#8220;be able to&#8221; with subjects that have abilities<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/the-ultimate-guide-to-using-can-and-be-able-to\/#Differences_in_Formality\" >Differences in Formality<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/the-ultimate-guide-to-using-can-and-be-able-to\/#Grammatical_Differences\" >Grammatical Differences<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/the-ultimate-guide-to-using-can-and-be-able-to\/#1_%E2%80%9CCan%E2%80%9D_and_%E2%80%9Cbe_able_to%E2%80%9D_can_be_different_in_the_past_tense\" >1. \u201cCan\u201d and &#8220;be able to&#8221; can be different in the past tense<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/the-ultimate-guide-to-using-can-and-be-able-to\/#2_Use_%E2%80%9Cbe_able_to%E2%80%9D_for_future_abilities\" >2. Use &#8220;be able to&#8221; for future abilities<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/the-ultimate-guide-to-using-can-and-be-able-to\/#3_Use_%E2%80%9Cbe_able_to%E2%80%9D_after_other_verbs\" >3. Use \u201cbe able to&#8221; after other verbs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/the-ultimate-guide-to-using-can-and-be-able-to\/#4_%E2%80%9CBe_able_to%E2%80%9D_can_be_used_with_other_tenses_too\" >4. \u201cBe able to\u201d can be used with other tenses too<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/the-ultimate-guide-to-using-can-and-be-able-to\/#Your_Turn\" >Your Turn<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p>Though similar, \"can\" and \"be able to\" are different in three important ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>They mean slightly different things<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>One is more common in formal English<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>One is more flexible grammatically<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>This post will explain each of these differences so you can use them both confidently in your English conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"meaning\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Differences_in_Meaning\"><\/span>Differences in Meaning<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CCan%E2%80%9D_has_more_uses_than_%E2%80%9Cbe_able_to%E2%80%9D\"><\/span><strong>&#8220;Can&#8221; has more uses than &#8220;be able to&#8221;<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\"Be able to\u201d has only one function: to talk about ability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Are you <strong>able to<\/strong> attend the meeting tomorrow?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You won't <strong>be able to<\/strong> use this app until you update your phone's operating system.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\"Can,\" however, has many functions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ability: \u201cI <strong>can<\/strong> speak English.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Possibility: \u201cIt <strong>can<\/strong> get hot in this room.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Permission: \u201cYou <strong>can<\/strong> leave now.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Request: \u201c<strong>Can<\/strong> you come here, please?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, the question \u201cCan you come to my party tomorrow?\u201d could mean both \u201cAre you <em>able<\/em> to come?\u201d and \u201cIs it <em>possible<\/em> for you to come?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Use_%E2%80%9Cbe_able_to%E2%80%9D_with_subjects_that_have_abilities\"><\/span><strong>Use &#8220;be able to&#8221; with subjects that have abilities<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Learners sometimes make sentences like \u201cTickets are able to be purchased online\u201d or \u201cThis product is able to be used in a microwave.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, in these examples, it sounds like the tickets and the product have abilities. Since objects do not have abilities, though, this is incorrect.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\"Can\u201d is better in these cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Tickets <strong>can<\/strong> be purchased online.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This product <strong>can<\/strong> be used in a microwave.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"formality\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Differences_in_Formality\"><\/span>Differences in Formality<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. \u201cCan\u201d is more common in everyday conversations<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Both \"can\" and \u201cbe able to\u201d are used in casual conversations, and you can usually use either without changing a sentence's meaning.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if a friend invited you to a party, you could reply with either of the following sentences:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I don\u2019t know if I <strong>can<\/strong> come to your party.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>I don\u2019t know if I\u2019ll <strong>be able to<\/strong> come to your party.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>However, \"be able to\" sounds a little more formal, so it's common for people to use \"can\" most of the time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Basically, if you want to emphasize ability (instead of possibility), use \"be able to.\" In other situations, you can simply use \"can.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. \u201cBe able to\u201d is more common in formal English<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>In formal English, especially in writing, it\u2019s usually better to be specific. This is why you\u2019ll see \u201cbe able to\u201d more often than \u201ccan\u201d in <a href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/app\/daily-news\/search?query=%22able%20to%22\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">news articles<\/a> that mention ability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ve probably also seen \u201cbe able to\u201d in error messages when you\u2019re using a computer. For example, if you have trouble buying something online, you might see messages like these:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>We <strong>are<\/strong> <strong>unable<\/strong> to process your request at this time. Please try again later.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>We are having difficulty processing your payment, so we <strong>are<\/strong> <strong>unable<\/strong> to proceed with your order.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to being more specific, \u201cbe able to\u201d also sounds more indirect and <a href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/app\/words\/word\/impersonal\/nP3dgkKKQpetx5_6zZc2vA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">impersonal<\/a> than \u201ccan.\u201d For example, you\u2019ve probably also received emails that say something like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Please do not reply to this email, as we <strong>are<\/strong> <strong>unable<\/strong> to respond from this address.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In situations like these, \u201cunable to\u201d sounds more polite than \u201ccannot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"grammar\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Grammatical_Differences\"><\/span>Grammatical Differences<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1.<strong> \u201cCan\u201d and \"be able to\" can be different in the past tense<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCould\u201d and \u201cwas able to\u201d are used to talk about abilities people had in the past. For example, the two sentences below mean the same thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When your grandma was young, she <strong>could<\/strong> eat five hamburgers in one meal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When your grandma was young, she <strong>was able to<\/strong> eat five hamburgers in one meal.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>And here are two sentences in the negative about the past that have the same meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I <strong>couldn\u2019t<\/strong> sleep last night.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>I <strong>wasn\u2019t able to<\/strong> sleep last night.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>But when we want to talk about past abilities involving a specific incident, things get tricky. For example, try to put the following sentence in the past tense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sally can find a job in New York after graduating.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You might think \u201cSally could find a job \u2026 \u201d is the answer, but the \"could\" here is not the past tense of \"can\" \u2014 instead, it's the <a href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/app\/lessons\/grammar-grammar-if-i-could-cook-i-would-cook-every-day\/IUSrbmTYEeeWRsPYhKF4tg?category_id=6r1fXsYHEeimuzOlcF_9gA&amp;course_id=1llXaMYPEeiWI9-YoYwf4A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">conditional<\/a> form (\u201cSally could find a job if she tried\u201d).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The correct answer is: \"Sally <strong>was able to<\/strong> find a job in New York after graduating.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also say, \"Sally <em>could have<\/em> found a job in New York after graduating\" if she had the ability to get a job there but didn't for some reason (for example, maybe she chose to work in another city).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So when you\u2019re talking about past abilities, pay extra attention to the choice between \"can\" and \"be able to\"!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Use_%E2%80%9Cbe_able_to%E2%80%9D_for_future_abilities\"><\/span><strong>2. Use &#8220;be able to&#8221; for future abilities<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to talk about future abilities, use \u201cbe able to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>My daughter<em> <\/em><strong>will be able to<\/strong> walk in a few months.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If I <a href=\"http:\/\/engoo.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">take lessons on Engoo<\/a>, I <strong>will be able to<\/strong> speak English confidently.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you just want to talk about future plans, \u201ccan\u201d is better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I <strong>can<\/strong> come to your party tomorrow.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. Use \u201cbe able to\" after other verbs<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Since <a href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/app\/lessons\/grammar-grammar-he-can-cook-almost-any-dish\/9xRpwmHSEeeUe8On7FEMLA?category_id=6r1fXsYHEeimuzOlcF_9gA&amp;course_id=1llXaMYPEeiWI9-YoYwf4A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201ccan\u201d is a modal verb<\/a>, it can\u2019t be used after other verbs. This is why the following sentences use \u201cbe able to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Applicants <strong>must be able to<\/strong> speak fluent French.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>I want to be a nurse because I <strong>want to be able to<\/strong> help people who are sick.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_%E2%80%9CBe_able_to%E2%80%9D_can_be_used_with_other_tenses_too\"><\/span><strong>4. \u201cBe able to\u201d can be used with other tenses too<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As a modal verb, \u201ccan\u201d doesn't have a <a href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/app\/lessons\/grammar-grammar-i-am-cooking-now\/b7OTukrJEeew2Tsh-6GIbA?category_id=6r1fXsYHEeimuzOlcF_9gA&amp;course_id=1llXaMYPEeiWI9-YoYwf4A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">continuous (-ing) form<\/a> or a <a href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/app\/lessons\/grammar-grammar-i-have-baked-cookies-before\/sj3kBGSnEee59qumwKvMLQ?category_id=6r1fXsYHEeimuzOlcF_9gA&amp;course_id=1llXaMYPEeiWI9-YoYwf4A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">perfect form<\/a>. So when you need to use these tenses, use \u201cbe able to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>I wonder what it\u2019s like not <strong>being able to<\/strong> swim.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>She\u2019s feeling better and <strong>has been able to<\/strong> eat a lot more lately.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Your_Turn\"><\/span>Your Turn<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a quick summary to help you review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cCan\u201d is used most of the time in casual conversations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cBe able to\u201d is more specific to ability.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cBe able to\u201d is more flexible \u2014 it can be used with any verb and tense!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cWas able to\u201d is used for (one-time) events in the past that happened, and \u201ccould have + past participle\u201d for ones that didn't.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Now it\u2019s time to practice! The following sentences all have a mistake. Try to find them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Your email is unable to be delivered.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You don't need to can read music to learn guitar.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>I have not can<strong> <\/strong>log into Instagram since last night.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Great Wall of China is unable to be seen from the moon.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Applicants must can speak fluent French.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>To find out the answers, <a href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">book a lesson on Engoo<\/a>! Engoo has thousands of tutors available any time of day and plenty of free materials you can study with. Give it a try!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Though similar, \"can\" and \"be able to\" are different in three important ways: They mean slightly different things One is more common in formal English One is more flexible grammatically This post will explain each...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":160,"featured_media":11010,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"unified_meta_tagline_field":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[42,57,53],"class_list":["post-595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-language-tips","tag-grammar","tag-how-to-use","tag-whats-the-difference"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Ultimate Guide to Using &quot;Can&quot; And &quot;Be Able To&quot;<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What&#039;s the difference between &quot;can&quot; and &quot;be able to&quot;? This article will explain the three major differences English learners need to know.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/engoo.com\/blog\/language-tips\/the-ultimate-guide-to-using-can-and-be-able-to\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Ultimate Guide to Using &quot;Can&quot; And &quot;Be Able To&quot;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What&#039;s the difference between &quot;can&quot; and &quot;be able to&quot;? 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