MSN: Quote of the day by Mother Teresa: "Not all of us can do great things. But we can"
Quote of the day by Mother Teresa: "Not all of us can do great things. But we can"
Your mother is the woman who gave birth to you. You can also call someone your mother if she brings you up as if she was this woman. You can call your mother 'Mother'. She sat on the edge of her mother's bed.
Can is usually used in standard spoken English when asking for permission. It is acceptable in most forms of written English, although in very formal writing, such as official instructions, may is often used instead: Persons under 14 unaccompanied by an adult may not enter.
You use can to indicate that someone has the ability or opportunity to do something. Don't worry yourself about me, I can take care of myself. I can't give you details because I don't actually have any details. The United States will do whatever it can to help Greece.
used to say that it is possible for somebody/something to do something, or for something to happen. I can run fast. Can you call back tomorrow? He couldn't answer the question. The stadium can be emptied in four minutes. I can't promise anything, but I'll do what I can. Please let us know if you cannot attend the meeting.
The present tense negative can not is usually contracted to cannot (more formal) or can’t (less formal). The use of can in asking permission is sometimes criticized as being impolite or incorrect by those who favour the more formal alternative “may I...?”.