Intermediate Grammar
Master English grammar one unit at a time. Clear notes, then 40+ interactive exercises with instant feedback – based on the topics in English Grammar in Use (Intermediate).
Can, could and be able to“ability now & in the past” – 44 interactive questions
📖 Grammar Reference – Can, could and be able to
Study the notes, then work through the six exercises.
1 Tier 1 – The Concept & Nuance: General Ability vs Specific Past Success
Use can / could for general ability. However, for a specific past occasion where someone succeeded in doing something difficult, use was/were able to or managed to (not could in positive statements).
– “When I was young, I could run very fast.”
2 Tier 2 – Negative Past Ability (Couldn’t / Wasn’t able to)
In negative statements, couldn’t is always correct for both general ability and specific situations:
– “We tried hard, but we couldn’t find the address.” = “We weren’t able to find the address.”
3 Tier 3 – Top 3 Common Learner Pitfalls
– Rule: Succeeding in a specific one-time event takes was/were able to or managed to.
– Rule: Perfect and infinitive forms require be able to (can/could have no participle).
– Rule: Modal verbs (can, could) are followed by bare infinitive without to.
Made with care for English learners · allenglish4u.com
Original practice material inspired by the English Grammar in Use syllabus (Cambridge University Press). Example sentences and exercises are written by All English 4U.