6.4.1: Past Modals of Ability
- Page ID
- 271288
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Ability in the Past
Was Able to and Could to Express Past Ability
In affirmative (positive) statements, use was/were able to for a specific event or a specific action that someone completed in the past. Do not use could.
- I was able to get tickets for the concert on Saturday. It wasn’t easy!
- We were able to avoid heavy traffic by taking the beltway.
- Larry was able to pass the class although it was difficult.
Stative verbs are exceptions: For questions and positive statements we use "could"
Examples: see, taste, smell, hear, feel, understand, and remember
- I could see the garden from my window in my old house.
- Could you smell the perfume that lady was wearing?
- When my grammar teacher explained, I could usually understand.
For negative statements, we use both "could" and "was/were able to":
- I couldn't hear the movie because people were making too much noise.
- Jimmy wasn't able to understand the math problem.
- The workers were not able to smell the gas, so they didn't know it was dangerous.
Both could and was/were able to are correct in negative statements of general or specific past ability.
- I couldn’t find my keys, but I was able to lock the door with my husband’s key.
- Larry couldn’t find a parking space this morning
- Many students couldn't speak English when they arrived in the United States.
- I couldn't drive when I arrived in the United States.
Exercise 2.3
Decide whether the sentence describes a specific or general ability Write SA for specific ability and GA for general ability.
1.____ I was able to ride a bike when I was ten years old.
2.____ Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make a dentist appointment for this week.
3.____ We were able to get an excellent price on flights for our trip.
4.____ Sherry was able to run faster than her brother when they were young.
5.____ David was able to lift heavy boxes before his injury.
6.____ Randy was not able to drive until age eighteen.
7.____ I used to be able to sing.
8.____ The students were able to pass the Final Exam last fall.
9.____ Were you able to finish your homework yesterday?
Which of the above examples can also be written using “could?” Write the sentences that use “could” below.
Exercise 2.4
Complete these sentences about past ability using could/couldn't or was/were able to. More than one answer may be correct. If two answers are correct, write both answers.
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1. At the age of eight, she_______________________ speak three languages. |
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2. And when she was ten, she ___________________________ speak another two languages. |
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3. When I was fifteen, I ________________________ ride a motorbike. |
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4. However, at age fifteen, I ____________________________ drive a car. |
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5. Unfortunately, I ______________________________ find my keys last night when I got home last night. |
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6. Fortunately, I ____________________________ unlock the door with a spare key last night. |
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7. However, I _______________________ find the original keys at that time. |
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8. The rescuers _______________________contact the trapped miners soon after the mine collapsed yesterday. |
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9. She ______________________ smell gas coming from the stove, so she turned off the burner. |
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10. However, she ____________________________ see the escaping gas. |
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11. I ________________________________understand anything that he was saying. |
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12. We ______________________________ hear Joe enter the house because he made a loud noise. |
Exercise 2.5
Look at the sentences above and decide which words or expressions you can use to express the following. Put a check in the boxes that apply. There may be more than one answer to each usage.
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Past Ability |
could |
couldn't |
be able to |
not be able to |
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1. Positive general ability |
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2. Positive ability on a specific occasion |
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3. Negative general ability |
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4. Negative ability on a specific occasion |
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Modals of Ability: Excerpt from Modals of Ability Possibility and Permission by Wikiwijs licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License Content can be found here: https://maken.wikiwijs.nl/92202/Modals_of_ability__possibility_and_permission?template=simple
Other content can be found here: https://random-idea-english.blogspot.com/2011/02/modals-plus-talking-about-ability-can.html licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Edited for ability level B1