Can (permission) and Have to (obligation)


Grade:   6

The theme: Can (permission) and Have to (obligation).


  • Check that students understand the meaning of talk, listen, read and write by having them translate the words into their books.
  • To develop students` reading and speaking.
  • To develop their interest to study English.

Methods of the lessons: work in pairs, in groups.

Type of the lesson: combined lesson.

Beginning activities:


-Good morning, students.

-How are you?

-I’m very glad to see you, take your seats.

2.Calling the register:
-Now tell me, please, who is on duty today?

-Who is absent today?
-What date is it today?

-What day of the week is it today?
-How do you like the weather today?
-Is it cold or warm?
-Thank you! Let’s begin our lesson.

  1. Warming up activity:

Checking home task:

-What was your home task?


Before the class writes the verbs from Activity 1 on slips of paper and stick those with blue tack under eight chairs. At the beginning of the lesson ask students to look under their chairs. If they find a slip of paper with a verb, they should mime the activity for the classmates to guess. Then the whole class should brainstorm all the sports they associate with the verb, e.g. catch – basketball, volleyball, rugby, baseball, etc.

Grammar practice

  1. In pairs students write three questions with Can you…? About the rules of any popular sports. Refer them to the example and the quiz in Activity 2 as a model. Encourage them to use dictionaries to look up new words. Monitor their work and help with the pronunciation.
  2. Ask the pairs to take turns to read out their questions to the whole class, using mime to explain any new vocabulary. Their classmates should respond with yes, you can or No, you can`t. refer students to Remember!To explain that can`t is a short from of cannot. If you have a large class, do the activity in groups.
  3. Focus attention on the pictures. In pairs students decide if the rules of particular sports allow the activities shown. Go through the example. Students take turns to make sentences with You can/can`t… respectively. Check the answers with the whole class, by asking different students to make sentences about the pictures.

Mixed-ability classes

For less confident students you can reveal which activities are allowed and which not by writing ticks and crosses next to the picture numbers on the board, e.g. 1Q, 2 R etc. This way they will be able to focus on making sentences with the target language.

Answers keys

  1. In tennis, you can hit the ball with a racket.
  2. In basketball, you can`t roll the ball.
  3. In football, you can head the ball.
  4. In bowling, you can`t kick the ball.
  5. In tennis, you can`t catch the ball.

Photocopiable activity

Sports page 115 (instructions p 96)

  1. Writing and speaking
  2. a) Focus attention on the pictures and ask students to think about the answers to the questions about each place.
  3. b) Ask students to write down their ideas. Go through the example first. Explain what pay attention means and encourage students to use dictionaries to look up new words they want to use in their texts.
  4. c) Put students in groups of four and ask them to take turns to read their sentences about one place at a time. If necessary, they should explain new vocabulary. Their classmates have to guess the place. Read out the example with a volunteer.

My English file

Students write rules of a sport or a game of their choice. They should use can, can`t, have to at least once. Encourage them to use dictionaries. Go through the example first, explaining any vocabulary students do not understand. Monitor student`s work, providing help. When students have finished the task, they exchange their notebooks in pairs and read each other`s rules. Ask a few students to read out their texts to the whole class.

Extra activity

If students life in the same town, ask them to work individually and write the rules of a place in their town. Then in small groups they take turns to read the rules and guess their classmates` places.


[1.52] refer students to page 91. Play the CD through and ask them to complete the task below the lyrics. When they have compared the answers in pairs, check these with the whole class.

Explain any words students do not understand. Play the song again, encouraging students to join in singing.

Answers key

  1. Sing
  2. Fun
  3. Lake
  4. Trees

Tape script

See lyrics on Student`s Book page 91.

Check your English

Students do the task individually and compare the answers in pairs. Check with the whole class by getting volunteers to read out complete sentences.

Answers key

  1. Can`t
  2. Can
  3. Have to


Giving home task:

1 Activity Book page 31, Activities 4-6

2 Students write about the rules in their own home or their friend`s home.

Giving marks:

-You’ve done a good work today.

-I hope you liked this lesson.

-Our lesson is over.

-Good bye!