Can,Could, be Able to and be Allowed to Flashcards
Use be able to instead of can, could to talk about ability.
Avoid be able to:
-to talk a thing is happening in the moment of speak.
-before passives
-when the meaning is know how to.
Watch mam, I can stand on one leg.
Films can easily be streamed on line.
Can you cook?
Use Be Able to, to talk about a single achievement.
To a general ability, use be able to or could.
Sophie could play flute very well. or was able to. (general ability)
She swang strongly and was able to cross the river. (specific situation in the past).
Could is usually more natural than be able to:
- negative sentences;
-verbs of senses (feel, hear, smell, taste, see) and thinking (believe, decide, remember, understand).
- After the only thing/place/time and all (the only thing);
-suggest sth almost didn’t happen, with almost, hardly, just and nearly.
I tried to get up early but I couldn’t move.
I could remember the crash but nothing after that.
All we could see were his feet.
I could nearly touch the ceiling.
To talk a theoretical possibility, use COULD.
A true possibility, Use CAN.
It could be expensive to keep a cat. (theoretical).
It can be expensive to keep a cat. (really is)
Use can’t, not couldn’t for a theoretical real impossible thing.
There can’t be many people in the world who haven’t watched television.
use Can to a real possibility, where COULD indicate it is less possible.
We can stay with Joe in Olso. (we are able to stay).
We could stay with Joe in Oslo. (it is possible if he is there).
For general permission: Could or was/were allowed to.
For specific permission: was/were allowed to, not could.
Anyone was allowed to fish in the lake. or could fish.
Although he didn’t have a ticket he was allowed to come in. (not could).
Negative, general or specific permissions, both is right:
Use wasn’t/weren’t allowed to, or couldn’t.
I couln’t/wasn’t able to open the presents until Christmas.
