can — English conjugation
Frequency#6Irregular
Indicative
Present (Simple Present) Irregular
The simple present describes habitual actions, general truths, and states. It is the most basic tense in English. For most verbs, add -s or -es for the third person singular (he, she, it).
She speaks three languages.
| Pronoun | English |
|---|---|
| I | can |
| you | can |
| he/she/it | can |
| we | can |
| you (pl.) | can |
| they | can |
Conditional (would) (Conditional) Irregular
The conditional describes hypothetical situations and their results. Formed with would + base infinitive. Used in if-clauses, polite requests, and reported speech about future events.
She would speak more if she had the chance.
| Pronoun | English |
|---|---|
| I | could |
| you | could |
| he/she/it | could |
| we | could |
| you (pl.) | could |
| they | could |
Past (Simple Past) Irregular
The simple past describes completed actions at a specific time in the past. Regular verbs add -ed. There are around 200 common irregular verbs with unique past forms that must be learned individually.
She spoke to the manager yesterday.
| Pronoun | English |
|---|---|
| I | could |
| you | could |
| he/she/it | could |
| we | could |
| you (pl.) | could |
| they | could |