Can Be Apply vs. Can Be Applied – Which is Correct?

The correct phrase is usually “can be applied,” not “can be apply.” After “can be,” use a past participle to form the passive voice: “The rule can be applied.” Use “can apply” when the subject performs the action: “You can apply.” Thus, “can be apply” is grammatically incorrect in English.

Can Be Apply or Applied: Which Is Correct?

“Can be applied” is the correct passive construction. The modal verb can is followed by the base form be, and be is followed by the past participle applied.

“Can be apply” is incorrect because apply is the base form, not the past participle needed after be. However, “can apply” is correct when the subject actively performs the action.

• Active: The student can apply for the scholarship.
• Passive: The scholarship rules can be applied to every student.

The Best Trick to Remember the Difference

Use the “be test”: whenever a sentence contains can be and the meaning is passive, use the past participle. Since the past participle of apply is applied, the correct phrase is can be applied.

A simple swap test also helps:

• If the subject does the action, use can apply.
• If something receives the action, use can be applied.

Word	Part of Speech	Meaning	Example
apply	Verb, base form	To put something into practice, request something, or direct something toward a purpose	You can apply for the position.
applied	Past tense or past participle	Used or put into practice; directed toward a purpose	The policy can be applied immediately.

How to Use Apply

Apply is the base form of a regular verb. It commonly means to put something into use, submit a request, spread or place something on a surface, or direct a rule or principle toward a situation. It can appear after modal verbs such as can, may, should, and must.

In the construction can apply, the subject actively performs the action. In the construction can be applied, the subject receives the action.

Example 1: Applicants can apply for the grant online.

Example 2: You can apply this method to difficult problems.

Example 3: The technician can apply a protective coating to the surface.

What Are the Different Forms of Apply?

Apply is a regular verb, although its spelling changes slightly when endings are added. Its principal forms are:

• Base form: apply
• Third-person singular: applies
• Present participle: applying
• Past tense: applied
• Past participle: applied

The final y changes to i before the endings in applies and applied. Before -ing, the spelling becomes applying; the final y remains, and the word gains an additional i before -ng.

Etymology of the Word Apply

Apply comes from the Old French aplier and ultimately from the Latin applicare, meaning “to attach,” “join,” or “direct toward.” Its modern meanings developed from the idea of directing something toward a particular person, purpose, surface, or situation.

How to Use Applied

Applied is both the simple past tense and the past participle of apply. It can describe an action completed in the past, as in “She applied for the position,” or form a passive construction with be, as in “The guidelines can be applied to this case.”

In can be applied, can expresses possibility or suitability, be creates the passive structure, and applied functions as the past participle.

Example 1: The discount can be applied at checkout.

Example 2: The same principle can be applied to other situations.

Example 3: She applied for the internship last week.

What Are the Different Forms of Applied?

Applied is not a separate irregular verb. It is an inflected form of apply and serves two main grammatical functions:

• Simple past: The candidate applied for the job yesterday.
• Past participle in a passive construction: The rule was applied fairly.
• Past participle after a modal passive: The rule can be applied fairly.
• Adjectival use: The course focuses on applied science.

When applied follows can be, it is normally part of the passive voice. The pattern is modal + be + past participle: can be applied, may be applied, or must be applied.

Etymology of the Word Applied

Applied comes from apply with the regular past-tense and past-participle ending -ed. It has the same Latin and Old French ancestry as apply; it does not have a separate origin because it is an inflected form of that verb.

Related Concepts

Understanding modal verbs, active and passive voice, and verb forms makes the difference between can apply and can be applied clear.

• Modal verbs: Words such as can, could, may, and must are followed by the base form of a verb. For example, “They can apply,” not “They can applies.”
• Passive voice: The passive voice emphasizes the receiver of an action. Its basic pattern is a form of be plus a past participle, as in “The rule can be applied.”
• Past participles: A past participle can be used with be to create passive constructions. The past participle of apply is applied.
• Active voice: In an active sentence, the subject performs the action: “The manager can apply the policy.”

Examples from Media and Literature

The following examples show how the correct forms might appear in common media, academic, workplace, and literary contexts. They are illustrative sentences rather than quotations.

• News reporting: A report about a new regulation might state, “The law can be applied to companies of every size.”
• Workplace communication: An employee handbook might say, “Staff members can apply for flexible working arrangements.”
• Science writing: An academic article might explain, “This model can be applied to several types of ecosystems.”
• Historical literature: A discussion of a ruler’s decree might use the sentence, “The punishment was applied unevenly across the kingdom.”
• Film dialogue: A character discussing a plan might say, “We can apply the same strategy to the next challenge.”

Practice Exercises

Choose the correct word or phrase to complete each sentence.

1. The applicant can ______ for the position online. (apply / be applied)
2. The new safety standard can be ______ to all buildings. (apply / applied)
3. The teacher can ______ this principle to a real-world example. (apply / be applied)
4. The discount can be ______ to your order. (apply / applied)
5. The same solution can ______ to other problems. (apply / be applied)

Answer Key

1. apply — The applicant actively submits the application.
2. applied — The safety standard receives the action.
3. apply — The teacher actively uses the principle.
4. applied — The discount receives the action in a passive construction.
5. apply — The solution is the subject of the active verb.

Apply Synonyms

Synonym	Definition
Use	To employ something for a particular purpose
Implement	To put a plan, policy, or system into action
Submit	To formally request consideration, often through an application
Administer	To give or put something into effect, such as medicine or a test
Employ	To make practical use of a method, skill, or resource

Applied Synonyms

Synonym	Definition
Used	Put into operation or employed for a purpose
Implemented	Put into effect, especially in reference to a plan or policy
Enforced	Put a rule or law into practical operation
Administered	Given, managed, or put into effect
Utilized	Made practical use of something

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: Is “can be apply” grammatically correct?
No. “Can be apply” is incorrect because a past participle must follow be in this passive construction. The correct phrase is can be applied.

Question 2: Should I write “can apply” or “can be applied”?
Use can apply when the subject performs the action: “You can apply the method.” Use can be applied when the subject receives the action: “The method can be applied to this problem.”

Question 3: Why is “applied” used after “can be”?
Can is a modal verb, and be applied is a passive construction. The pattern is can + be + past participle, so the correct form is can be applied.

Conclusion

Use “can be applied” when something receives an action, and use “can apply” when someone or something performs the action. Avoid “can be apply” because it combines be with the wrong verb form. Pro tip: Choosing the correct construction improves clarity and protects your professional reputation in applications, reports, and formal communication.