4A

can, could, be able to (ability and possibility) Could you open the door
for me, please?
c a n / c o u ld

I can sp e a k th ree langu ag es flu e n tly. 2 34)))

Jenny can’t co m e to n ig h t. S h e's sick.
M y c o u s in could p la y the v io lin w h e n she w as three.
T h e y couldn’t w a it because th e y w ere in a h u rry .
Could y o u o p e n the d o o r fo r m e, please?

• can is a m o d a l verb. It o n ly ha s a p re se n t fo rm (w h ic h can be used w ith

fu tu re m e a n in g ) an d a past o r c o n d itio n a l fo rm (could).
• F o r a ll o th e r tenses an d fo rm s , w e use b e a b le to + base fo rm .

b e a b le t o + b a s e fo rm
1 L u k e has been able to s w im sin ce he w as th re e .
I'd lik e to be able to sk i.
I lo ve being able to stay in b e d la te o n S u n d a y m o rn in g .
Y o u ’ l l be able to p ra c tice y o u r E n g lis h in the U S .
2 F o rtu n a te ly , I am a b le to a ccep t y o u r in v ita tio n .
M y co lle a g u e s weren’t able to co m e to yesterday's m ee tin g .
1 W e use b e a b l e to + base fo rm fo r a b ilit y and
2 35)))
p o s s ib ility , e s p e c ia lly w here th ere is n o fo r m o f
can, e.g., fu tu re , p re se n t p e rfe ct, in fin it iv e and
g e ru n d , etc.
2 W e s o m e tim e s use b e a b l e to in the presen t and
past (in ste ad o f can / could), u s u a lly i f w e w a n t to
be m o re fo rm a l.

a C o m p le t e w it h th e c o r r e c t f o r m o f b e a b l e to ( 0 , E L b ( C ir c le ) th e c o r r e c t f o r m . C h e c k / i f b o t h a r e p o s s ib le .
or[?]).

I ’ve n e v e r b ee n a b l e t o s c u b a d iv e .
1 H e r c e ll p h o n e h a s b e e n tu r n e d o f f a ll m o r n in g , s o I
t a lk to h e r vet.
2 I d o n 't lik e n o is y re s ta u ra n ts . I l i k e _________________
ha ve a c o n v e r s a tio n w it h o u t s h o u tin g .
3 I _________________le a v e h o m e w h e n I get a job .
4 W e 'r e h a v in g a p a r t y n e x t S a tu r d a y ._________________ I ’v e a lw a y s w a n te d tocan /(be a b l e l cjid a n ce sa lsa .
y o u _________________c o m e ?
1 M y lit t le b o y couldn ' t / wasn’t a b l e to s p e a k u n t il he w a s
5 Y o u n e e d ________________ s w im b e fo re y o u c a n g o in a a lm o s t t w o y e a rs o ld .
ca n o e .
ca n /
2 S h e ’s m u c h b e tte r a fte r h e r o p e r a tio n . S h e ’ l l
6 I'm g o in g to F ra n c e n e x t w e e k , b u t I d o n 't s p e a k b e a b l e to w a lk a g a in in a fe w m o n th s .
F re n c h . I h a t e _________________c o m m u n ic a t e w it h
3 H e h a s n 't c o u ld / b ee n a b l e t o f i x m y b ik e yet. H e ’ ll d o it
p e o p le .
to m o r r o w .
7 F o r t u n a te ly , f ir e f ig h t e r s _________________re s c u e a ll o f
4 I t’s th e w e e k e n d a t la st! I lo v e ca n / b ein g a b l e t o g o o u t
th e p e o p le tr a p p e d in s id e th e b u r n in g h o u s e .
w it h m y frie n d s .
8 I ’m v e r y s o r r y , b u t w e _________________g o to y o u r
5 W h e n w e liv e d o n th e c o a s t, w e u se d to c a n / b e a b l e to
w e d d in g n e x t m o n th . W e 'll be o n v a c a tio n .
g o to th e b e a ch e v e ry day.
9 I'm fe e lin g a lit t le w o r s e ._________________y o u
6 I c a n ’t / ’m n o t a b l e t o se n d a n y e m a ils r ig h t n o w .
_________________c o n ta c t th e d o c t o r yet?
M y c o m p u te r is n ’t w o r k in g .
10 T h e m a n a g e r ________________ see y o u r ig h t n o w
7 I c o u ld
I was a b l e to re a d b e fo re I s ta rte d s c h o o l.
b e c a u se h e 's in a m e e tin g .
8 W e w o n ’t c a n / b e a b l e to g o o n v a c a tio n t h is y e a r
b e c a u s e w e n e e d to s p e n d a lo t o f m o n e y o n th e h o u s e .
hasn ' t b ee n a b l e to / co u ldiih f in d a job .
9 L in d a
10 A le x c a n / is a b l e t o s p e a k K o r e a n f lu e n t ly a fte r liv in g
in S e o u l f o r te n y e a rs.

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