MODALS OF ABILITY

CAN CAN’T

COULD COULDN’T

BE ABLE TO
CAN – CAN’T
We use can and can’t to talk about someone’s skills or general abilities.
Examples: She can swim like a fish.
They can’t sing very well, can’t they.

PRESENT OR FUTURE
We also use can to talk about the ability to do something at a given time in the present or the
future.
Examples: You can make a lot of money if you work hard vfuture
We can’t see anything present
Generally, we use can and can’t
in spoken English, rather than be
able to as a shorter and less
formal
COULD – COULDN’T
We use could and couldn’t to talk generally about skills or general abilities in the past.
Example: She could swim like a fish.
They couldn’t sing very well.

COULD + HAVE + PARTICIPLE

We use this structure to say that someone had the ability or the opportunity to do something, but
didn’t do it.
Example: I could have danced all night, but I didn’t.
BE ABLE TO
We use be able to just like can. But it’s more formal.
We use it to talk about abilities, but we often use it in places where it is not possible to use can.

 IMPORTANT: it is imposible to use can after another modal verb.

Example: I’m free this evening, I might be able to go to the party with you.
WAS/WERE ABLE TO
We use was/were able to when speaking about something someone succeeded in doing on one
particular occasion.

Example: Mom didn’t have any money on her but, fortunately, she was able to pay by credit
card.
REMEMBER
 When talking about ability, we use can in the present and could in the past.
 For Perfect and Future tenses, we use able to.

Example: I have been very busy, so I haven’t been able to cook dinner. (present perfect)
When you’ve finished this lesson, you will be able to understand modals of ability in
English. (future simple)

 We also use be able to after certain verbs thet are followed by the infinitive.

Example: He hopes to be able to study History at university.

NOTE: We don’t use be able to in continuous forms.

COULDN’T AND
WASN’T/WEREN’T ABLE TO
In the negative, couldn’t and wasn’t/weren’t able to are used for both speaking in general and
when speaking about one particular occasion.

Example: - Peter wasn’t able to swim / couldn’t swim until he was 18 years old.
(general ability)

- I couldn’t / wasn’t able to do all the question in the exam.

(one particular occasion)
MANAGED TO
 This isn’t a modal verb, but it is used to talk about abilities.
 If we succeed in doing something difficult, we use manage.

Example: He managed to saved money despite his small salary.

LET’S PRACTICE
 Louisa ________________ speak 3 languages: english, spanish and french

 I should ________________ play tennis at the weekend

 She ______________________ (pass) the exam if she had worked harder.

MODALS OF POSSIBILTY

MAY MIGHT

COULD
 When we’re uncertain or unsure about the present and the future, we use could, migght and
may.
 They explain that something is posible but not certain or guaranteed.

Ex: If you wait near the door on Lewis Street, you could see the prime minister leaving.
They might arrive before lunch (but I’m not sure)
I may need to borrow your car
MIGHT AND MAY
might and may are very similar, but the difference between the two is that might tells us that the
outcome is a little bit less likely (to happen)
Ex: We may go on holiday in September
We might go on holiday in September (this one suggests that it is a little less likey

Could
We can also use could to explain that we are uncertain or unsure
about the future
Ex; It could rain this afternoon
Simon coukd arrive before us