Englishfor English speakers
can
Verb
—
If someone can do something, they are able to do it.
Most birds can fly.
Can you speak English?
I can't see it. It's too small.
"Can you come?" "Yes, I think I can."
This is a service that anyone can easily afford.
—
If someone can do something, they are allowed to do it.
You can't smoke here.
Can I go now?
—
You use can to ask somebody to do something (if you know the person well).
Can you open the door for me, please?
Can I have the salt, please?
—
If something can happen, it is possible.
It's so small that it can't be seen.
There can't be any difference.
Can the plan work?
That can't be right.
Imagine how bad it can get.
—
If someone tells you something can't happen, they think it's not a good idea.
You just can't keep smoking.
You can't think things are going to get better.
—
If something can happen, it happens sometimes.
I can get really busy here on weekends.
Her classes can be really interesting or really boring.
can
Verb
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If someone cans something, they put in a can or jar to keep for a long time.
We canned the peas for the winter.
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If someone cans something, they stop working on it.
The idea was canned.
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If someone gets canned they have lost their job.
—
If you tell someone to can it, you want them to stop talking.
Can it, would you? I'm trying to watch TV.
can
Noun
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A can is a metal container, usually for holding food or drink.
I drink cola from a can.
hoops come in a can.
I
Pronoun
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The person who is speaking or writing
I am writing this, and you are reading it.
I
Noun
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The ninth letter or the alphabet; previous H, next J. I is a vowel.
I
Symbol
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A symbol meaning first, as in "George I" (which is said as "George the first").
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The symbol for iodine on the periodic table of elements.
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The symbol for electrical current.
I
Number
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This is the roman numeral for one (1). It may be written as I or i.
i
Noun
—
The ninth letter or the alphabet; previous H, next J. I is a vowel.
get
Verb
—
To start to have; to take. When one person gives something, the other person gets the thing.
The woman goes to the store and gets a new dress.
—
Become.
The problem got worse.
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You use get to make the passive voice, especially when the thing that happened is bad.
He got hit by a car.
the
Determiner
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Used, instead of a, to reference something specific, already known to exist.
Compare "I read a book." and "I read the book."
—
Used with a stress, to show that the word following is special.
Are you the John Smith that I went to school with?
—
Used with an adjective that acts like a noun to mean all of the people concerned
The poor are always with us.
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Used with superlatives forms of adjectives and adverbs.
You are the best.
Bill
Proper noun
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Bill is a male given name. It is short for William.
Bill is working on a report.
bill
Noun
—
A bill is a piece of paper money; a banknote.
I paid for my sandwich using a twenty-dollar bill.
—
A bill is a piece of paper telling you what other people have done for you and how much you owe them.
"Ask the waitress if we can have the "bill" now."
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A bird's bill is its beak (the hard mouth part).
The toucan is known for its colorful bill.
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A bill is a proposed law.
The bill passed the Senate.
bill
Verb
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If you bill someone, you give or send them a bill.
The shop billed me $100 for tickets.
—
If you bill a person or an event, you announce them.
He was billed as "The Great Houdini".
please
Interjection
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We say "please" when we want to ask someone politely to do something.
Pass the salt, please.
please
Verb
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Someone pleases someone else when they do what that person likes or wants.
Giving her these flowers will please her.