Can vs be allowed to
- Exercises with answers
- PDF worksheets
- Grammar rules with examples
English grammar books PDF
PDF book 1: English tenses exercises
PDF book 2: English grammar exercises
PDF book 3: English grammar rules
Read more about English grammar books PDF on e-grammar.org.
Be allowed to exercises
Online exercises with answers for pre-intermediate to advanced levels.
Be allowed to Exercise 1 Learn how to use 'be allowed to' in all tenses.
Can - Be allowed to Exercise 2 Practice the difference in the multiple choice test.
Can - Be allowed to Exercise 3 Complete Samantha's email.
Be allowed to PDF worksheets
Free printable worksheets with keys to download.
- Complete sentences in all tenses.
Can - Be allowed to PDF worksheet 2
- Choose correct options.
Can - Be allowed to PDF worksheet 3
- Complete an email to practise the difference.
Compare:
Be able to Learn the difference between be allowed to and be able to.
PDF grammar rules:
English grammar PDF All PDF grammar rules on this website.
Be allowed to
Grammar rules with examples.
Be allowed to is used to express permission to do something. It is also possible to use can, but only in the present tense, past tense and conditional tense.
Compare:
I can use my dad's car today. = I am allowed to use my dad's car today.
I could use my dad's car yesterday. = I was allowed to use my dad's car yesterday.
I could use my dad's car if I bought petrol. = I would be allowed to use my dad's car if I bought petrol.
In other tenses, we can only use be allowed to.
Present tense: I am allowed, you are allowed, he is allowed
Past tense: I was allowed, you were allowed, he was allowed
Future tense: I will be allowed
Present perfect: I have been allowed, he has been allowed
Past perfect: I had been allowed
Future perfect: I will have been allowed
Questions and negative forms are made in the following way.
Questions:
Are you allowed? Were you allowed? Will he be allowed? Has she been allowed? Had we been allowed? Will they have been allowed?
Negative questions:
Are you not allowed? (Aren't you allowed?)
Were you not allowed? (Weren't you allowed?)
Will he not be allowed? (Won't he be allowed?)
Has she not been allowed? (Hasn't she been allowed?)
Had we not been allowed? (Hadn't we been allowed?)
Will they not have been allowed? (Won't they have been allowed?)
Negative statements:
I am not allowed, You were not allowed, He will not be allowed, She has not been allowed, We had not been allowed, They will not have been allowed
Present
We use can or be allowed to if we talk about a permission in the present, but can is more common.
Daniel can go out with us.
Daniel is allowed to go out with us.
Past
We use could or was/were allowed to if we talk about a general permission in the past.
We could use the computer at any time.
We were allowed to use the computer at any time.
If we talk about a specific permission in the past, we must use was/were allowed to.
As I felt much better on Monday, I was allowed to go for a walk.
In negative sentences, however, both forms are possible.
She couldn't leave her office at lunch time.
She wasn't allowed to leave her office at lunch time.
Future
We use can or be allowed to for future actions in the following way.
We can take a holiday next week.
We are allowed to take a holiday next week.
We'll be allowed to take a holiday next week.
Notes
1. If we ask for a permisssion, we do not use be allowed to.
Can I join you? Could I join you?
2. If we ask someone whether he or she got a permission, we use can or be allowed to.
Can you stay up late?
Are you allowed to stay up late?
Could you do what you wanted?
Were you allowed to do what you wanted?