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Can Could Be Able To

1. Can, could, be able to are modal verbs used to express ability and possibility in English. 2. Can is used to talk about general abilities in the present. Could is used to talk about abilities in the past or a hypothetical situation. 3. Be able to is used to talk about specific abilities on a particular occasion, both in the present and past. It can also be used to talk about future abilities.

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139 views

Can Could Be Able To

1. Can, could, be able to are modal verbs used to express ability and possibility in English. 2. Can is used to talk about general abilities in the present. Could is used to talk about abilities in the past or a hypothetical situation. 3. Be able to is used to talk about specific abilities on a particular occasion, both in the present and past. It can also be used to talk about future abilities.

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buoibanmai_tqn
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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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Expressing ABILITY and POSSIBILITY with modals verbs I could find some useful books in the library

1. Can
1. A: What do you call a man with no ears?
a. She can drive a car.
b. John can speak Spanish. B: Anything you like because he ……………………. hear you.
c. I cannot hear you. (I can't hear you.) *
d. Can you see me? 2. A: Mai, since I met you, I ………………………….. eat or drink.
e. The DVD can be rented from your local store
B: Oh, Mai! Is it because you love me so much?
f. Can you/are you able to come on Saturday?*
A: Oh, no. It’s because I haven’t any money left.
1. Could
a. I could swim when I was 5 years old. 3. A: What you ……………………….. make but you
b. My grandmother could speak seven languages. ………………………….. see?
c. When we arrived home, we could not open the door. (...couldn't B: a noise
open the door.) *
d. Could you understand what he was saying? 4. A: (in the library). Please be quiet. The other people in here
NOTE in negative sentences describing particular situation, ………………………….. read.
COULD NOT can also be used
B: What a pity! I ……………………………….. read when I was six.
PAST
5. A: ………………… you play the guitar?
General Specific Occasion
B: No. But I’d love ……………………………… play the guitar very
A man fell into the river yesterday.
My grandmother could much.
+ The police were able to save
speak Spanish.
him.*
My grandmother A man fell into the river yesterday.
-
couldn't speak Spanish. The police couldn't save him.*

1. Be able to
a. She is able to drive a car (=can)
b. My grandmother was able to speak Spanish.
c. I will be able to drive a car next year. *
d. You’ll be able to get a taxi outside the station.
e. I have been able to drive since I was 18 years old.*
f. I haven’t been able to get much work done today.
g. She’d love to be able to play the piano.*
Something was possible on a particular/specific occasion in the past
I was able to/ managed to find some useful books in the library.

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