Question

Updated on 1 Feb 2023

27 January

Ukrainian

English (US)

Question about English (US)

What is the difference between i can and i am can ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.

I started studying "to be" and I have a question, why they don't write i am can, but write it exactly like this - i can?

Answers

HebrewDane

27 January

English (US)

Because "I am can" isn't correct. It makes no sense. I am means I exist. I am alive. I am here. I can means I am able to. I can do anything. I can run a marathon.
So you can say I am or I can but not I am can. I can isn't part of the verb "to be."

Highly-rated answerer

ladyjoebobiii

27 January

English (US)

You wouldn't say, "I am can."

"Can" is a verb, so it is something you do, not something you are.

jimpjorps

27 January

English (US)

There's two ways to talk about ability in English:

I can ...
I am able to ...

Highly-rated answerer

Dmitriy14c

28 January

Ukrainian

@ladyjoebobiii why do they write then, as "We’re playing" ? This is also verb. "Play" also is a verb, so it is something you do, not something you are.

ladyjoebobiii

28 January

English (US)

@Dmitriy14c that is a very fair point.

It's also that "am (to be)" and "can (to be able)" are the same type of verb; they can be accompanied by a 2nd verb, but not by each other.

"We are playing" and "we can play" are examples where "are (to be)" and "can (to be able)" are accompanied by "to play"

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What is the difference between i can and i am can ?

What is the difference between i can and i am can ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.

Because "I am can" isn't correct. It makes no sense. I am means I exist. I am alive. I am here. I can means I am able to. I can do anything. I can run a marathon. So you can say I am or I can but not I am can. I can isn't part of the verb "to be."

You wouldn't say, "I am can." "Can" is a verb, so it is something you do, not something you are.

There's two ways to talk about ability in English:I can ...I am able to ...

@Dmitriy14c that is a very fair point. It's also that "am (to be)" and "can (to be able)" are the same type of verb; they can be accompanied by a 2nd verb, but not by each other."We are playing" and "we can play" are examples where "are (to be)" and "can (to be able)" are accompanied by "to play"

Because "I am can" isn't correct. It makes no sense. I am means I exist. I am alive. I am here. I can means I am able to. I can do anything. I can run a marathon.
So you can say I am or I can but not I am can. I can isn't part of the verb "to be."

You wouldn't say, "I am can."

"Can" is a verb, so it is something you do, not something you are.

There's two ways to talk about ability in English:

I can ...
I am able to ...