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.
A can / can’t — ability now
Use can + the base verb to say something is possible or that someone has the ability to do it now. The negative is can’t (= cannot). The meaning is the same as am / is / are able to.
| ability | I can ski, but I can’t skate. |
| = be able to | She is able to read three languages. |
| possible | You can see the sea from the hotel. |
💡 After can we use the base verb — never to: (not can to swim).
B (be) able to — the form that fills the gaps
can only has two forms (can / could). When you need another tense, use be able to instead.
C could — general ability in the past
could is the past of can. Use it for an ability you had over a period of time in the past (= was / were able to).
D was / were able to — one thing you managed
For a single occasion in the past where someone actually did something difficult, use was / were able to or managed to — not could.
💡 In the negative, both are fine: I couldn’t / wasn’t able to open it.
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.