العمل التطوعي · Programme: Expressing ability / inability · Grammar: can / cannot
By the end of this lesson, I can:
- Talk about different kinds of voluntary work
- Express ability and inability with can / can’t and be able to / be unable to
- Understand short testimonies of young volunteers
- Pronounce and spell the sound /uː/ (food, do, new, fruit)
- Start a class project about volunteering
🖼️ Picture dictionary قاموس مصوّر
tap 🔊 to listen📚 كلمات الدرس
12 كلمة من هذا الدرس في القاموس المدرسي: المعنى بالعربية والفرنسية، والنطق، ومثال.
📖 Read: Our Saturday Heroes – a school blog أقرأ
This week, our school blog asked four pupils from Ibn Khaldoun Middle School in Sfax about their voluntary work.
The four friends agree: you don’t need money to be a volunteer. A lack of time is not an excuse either – even doing the chores for a tired grandmother is voluntary work.
Do you understand? أفهم
Answer in your copybook first, then check.
- What does Aziz do in winter?
Answer
He collects blankets and soup for homeless people.
- Why does Nour feed street cats?
Answer
Because some people are cruel to them and many kittens can’t survive without help.
- Why doesn’t Emma donate blood?
Answer
Because she is too young; she helps the donors instead.
- How does Hedi help Karim?
Answer
He gives him a hand to go up the stairs, and they study together.
🧩 Grammar القواعد
We use can + base verb to say that someone is able to do something, and cannot / can’t + base verb for inability.
Can is the same for all persons: I can, he can, they can (no -s!). It is followed by the verb without “to”: She can swim.
We can also say be able to / be unable to: Karim isn’t able to climb the stairs alone. For the past, use could / couldn’t or was / were able to.
نستعمل can + الفعل المجرّد للتعبير عن القدرة، و can’t / cannot للتعبير عن العجز. لا نضيف s ولا to بعد can.
Can / can’t: the forms
| Form | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| ✅ Affirmative | subject + can + verb | I can give a hand. |
| ❌ Negative | subject + can’t / cannot + verb | Kittens can’t survive alone. |
| ❓ Question | Can + subject + verb …? | Can you carry this box? |
| 💬 Short answers | Yes, I can. / No, I can’t. | Can she cook? – No, she can’t. |
Can = be able to
| can / can’t | be able to / be unable to |
|---|---|
| He can read Braille. | He is able to read Braille. |
| They can’t walk. | They are unable to walk. |
| I couldn’t come yesterday. (past) | I wasn’t able to come yesterday. |
Can has no infinitive and no future. For the future say will be able to: Next year, I will be able to donate blood.
Ways to volunteer
| Who needs help? | What can you do? |
|---|---|
| 🏚️ homeless people | collect blankets, serve hot meals |
| ♿ disabled people | push a wheelchair, read aloud, study together |
| 🐕 animals | feed street animals, help at a shelter |
| 🌳 the planet | plant trees, pick up litter |
| 👵 old neighbours | do the shopping or the chores for them |
💬 Useful expressions عبارات مفيدة
Expressing ability
Expressing inability
🔊 Pronunciation النطق
Worked examples أمثلة محلولة
Try first, then read the solution.
Complete with can or can’t: “Lina is only 12, so she … donate blood, but she … help at the donation day.”
Step-by-step solution
- To donate blood you must be an adult » inability » can’t.
- Helping at the event is possible » ability » can.
✓ Lina can’t donate blood, but she can help at the donation day.
Rewrite: “My grandfather can’t walk without his stick.”
Step-by-step solution
- can’t = be unable to / not be able to.
- Grandfather = he » is.
- Keep the base verb walk.
✓ My grandfather isn’t able to (is unable to) walk without his stick.
⚠️ Common mistakes أخطاء شائعة
⭐ Remember أحفظ
- Can + base verb = ability; can’t / cannot + base verb = inability.
- Can is the same for all persons: no -s, no to.
- Be able to / be unable to have the same meaning and can be used in all tenses.
- Past: could / couldn’t or was / were able to.
- Volunteers help the needy, the homeless, disabled people, animals and the planet.
- /uː/ can be spelled oo, o, ew, ui, ou.
Quick quiz اختبار سريع
4 questions · instant feedback1. Choose the correct sentence.
2. “She is unable to walk.” means…
3. A person who has no house is…
4. Which word has the sound /uː/?
✍️ Write: Project step 1: a volunteer in my town أكتب
Start your class project “Helping Hands”. Write a short paragraph about a person or a group who does voluntary work in your town or village.
Steps
- Say who the person or group is.
- Say who they help (needy families, animals, disabled people…).
- Say what they can do and what they can’t do without help.
- Finish with what you can do to give a hand.
A model text to compare with (after writing mine)
In my town, Sidi Bouzid, there is a group of young volunteers called “Green Smile”. They take part in many activities. Every month they plant trees near schools, and in Ramadan they prepare meals for needy families. They can’t buy everything themselves, so shopkeepers donate food. Last winter they also helped an old disabled man: they repaired his roof because he wasn’t able to do it alone. I admire them because they stand by people who have nobody. I can’t give money, but I can give a hand on Sundays, so I want to join them next month.
One good example among many: compare, don’t copy.
😊 The lighter side استراحة
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
What gets wetter the more it dries?
Answer
A towel.
Teacher: “Can you name two days that start with T?” – Pupil: “Today and Tomorrow!”
✅ Exercises تمارين
All exercises →6 exercises on three levels, with new questions every time.
- Choose the right answerTo do
- ClassifyTo do
- Situation 1To do
- Situation 2To do
Practise: Voluntary Work
True or false, complete, choose, classify and situations: instant correction with explanations.
Got the lesson? Try it yourself
6 exercises · instant correction · new questions every time
Start the exercisesPictures: Twemoji (CC-BY 4.0). Texts, explanations and exercises: Scolaire.tn.