student asking question

Is it okay to use "can’t" instead of "won’t"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Very good question. "Can't" means that you don't have the ability to do something, whereas "won't" implies that you chose not to do something. In this verse, Elsa says 'I can hear you' which implies that she chooses not to listen or pay attention. If Elsa uses "can't" here instead of "won't," it may mean that Elsa is deaf, which she is not. So you cannot use "can't" instead of "won't" in this case.

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